Strawberry Flavor
by Gardenia.Tea
Summary: She was different from other girls - strange, morbid, reclusive. Yet, that did not matter to him. Sometimes the most beautiful things in all the universe, are the most mysterious. OC
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

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**Disclaimer: **As you should by now already know, the romantic comedy known as _Ouran High School Host Club _is none of my work. The elements involved rightfully belongs to Bisco Hatori. However, the homely and reclusive Ren Ichihara will forever be mine.

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". . . this can't be it."

A girl pulled her head out of the dim room and shut the door closed. She could feel her face crumble as she quietly stood before the tall entrance. Tilting her head up, she read the sign above the doorframe out loud.

"Second Music Room," Her brows pressed together. "Second . . . Music Room," She repeated once again with pursed lips and eyes drifting down to the paper in her hand. She skimmed through each paragraph for any source of name about the correct room she was supposed to report. When nothing useful caught her eyes, the girl wearily closed them and retreated to her memory as a final option. After one minute, an aggravated sigh passed through her lips. To her great disappointment, she could not remember.

"This is ridiculous." She groaned, not liking how this was leading her toward a dead end. "How many music rooms does this school have?"

A pair of two students turned the corner. They walked in her direction as she continued to search for the correct music room since the First and Second Music Rooms were both empty. Once they spotted her, they immediately stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her oddly. Their one hundred dollars bronze tan was a complete waste when their skin turned pale.

Although the girl frightened many people, the normal reaction for this would to wonder why; however, the entering freshman was not interested. There was no reason to be. She already had a fixed idea why they were terrified of her. Thinking it would never end - the scared expressions, the exchanging of words - she decided not to bother with the problem any longer and simply accept her fate by walking away, or in other situations run away.

She quickly passed by the two students, head lowered.

"School's almost over." She grumbled under her breath, looking up from her wrist watch. "I hope the teacher didn't assign any homework while I was away," she paused and with much annoyance added, "looking for a class ditcher."

She was missing out on the final lecture of the day, all because it was mandatory to find her assigned lab partner before school ended and inform him about everything that he missed in Biology class last period, as if the teacher's career was at stake.

She sighed. _Things would be so much easier for me if I only knew what he looked like._

Out of all the days, why did he choose to be absent today . . . on her second day of school? It was almost like he already knew she wanted to complete a project that wasn't due until next month and purposely didn't go to class just to aggravate her. Well, mission accomplished, she thought glumly.

There was one thing she couldn't understand, and that was the help of another person to finish work. Everything would be perfectly fine if she was alone. She wouldn't be in the halls missing out on Literature class, or worrying if this lab partner was dependable enough to do his part of the job. Screw peer bonding! All she wanted was to pass her classes with a high average. Was that so much to ask for? Really. Now, this didn't mean she thought of herself greater than any other person. In truth, she had a very low self-esteem for a girl at the age of fifteen. She wore outfits that looked like a homeless lady put together - a long trench coat over a black shirt, over three more black shirts, over a pair of grey jeans and with her brown, beat-up sneakers that had once been white six or so years ago. The only reason she despised pairing up with someone was because she didn't know how to socialize. It was a nightmare. Awkward silence was the worst. But, even so, no one would want to be her partner anyway.

Like on days when she felt hopeless, she bowed her head, letting her long unkempt black hair slide over her shoulders. They curtain around her face. "I have no idea what to say when I do find him. He'll probably give me all the work to do like the others . . . Or plead the teacher for a different partner. That may take days."

Her lips curved into a frown when she remembered the promise she told herself this morning before going to school, and that was to not get behind in her studies. Her education depended on it. Nothing felt worse than knowing all of your hopes and dreams you've worked so hard for might go down the drain in one semester. She gulped, trying not to imagine the odds of that ever happening. Then again, none of this would be a problem if only everything went exactly as planned.

Ever since the beginning of the summer, her plan was to attend Kimagure High all four years of her high school life, and then apply for a good college during her fourth year. By becoming one of the top students in her class, and applying to many scholarships, and working part time in town, paying for tuition would be like a walk in the park. However, her aunt didn't think the same way. She had a different plan in store for her only niece.

"If only Mana-san did not feel my education was at risk, then maybe I wouldn't be in this snobbish school." She shook her head in disapproval at how her dear aunt kidnapped her from her parents. Literally.

Till this day her aunt doesn't consider her action as a "kidnap." That word was too harsh. She proudly referred to it as a "rescue." The girl had to strongly disagree. When you wake up to an explosion going off somewhere in your parents house, and while you tremble out of fear a bag gets thrown over your head, and then you are carried off in the middle of the night - screaming at the top of your lungs - in your pajamas, out of everything that was completely insane. That was not called _rescuing_. That was called _kidnapping_ - according to crime investigators and the News. After knowing their only daughter went missing, her parents turned to the police. Her face was all over the news with the title **"Girl Kidnapped From Her House" **by the next morning. It took her aunt one phone call to straighten out the situation, putting an end to the search.

The girl heaved a sigh. "Will she ever change her impulsive behavior?"

As far as her aunt was concerned, she couldn't help but feel like this wasn't going to be the last time she'll see her spontaneous-ness in action, or in the process of happening. It was almost too frightening to think about.

Slowly lifting her head up, she found two white double doors at the end of the hall. There was a sign above the doorframe that read in clear cursive letters, Third Music Room.

"Another music room?" She glanced down at her watch. "If this is the right room, then I may have time to catch the end of my Lit. class." All signs of hopelessness washed away from her face as she approached the grand doors ahead.

Stopping before the entrance, the girl placed her hand over the golden handle, exhaled, and turned it. To her surprise, the door automatically pushed itself open without her help. The minute that door slid open, she was immediately greeted by dozens of red rose petals, swirling and gliding gracefully toward her. She covered her eyes with her hands, not wanting the smaller petals to get caught in her eyes. In the back of her mind, she wondered if this normally happened. But the thought was lost as soon as she heard the most beautiful thing in the whole world.

"Welcome." Chimed the angelic voices.

Her body tensed.

Slowly, hesitant, she brought her hands down from her face. Her breath got caught in her throat when her gaze fell upon a group of boys. Time froze for a fraction of a second. Her eyes widen and her heart skipped three unhealthy beats. It wasn't until her head began to spin when she realized she wasn't breathing. She inhaled deeply, taking in much needed oxygen.

She knew now these were not your ordinary boys of Ouran Academy.

No, these boys were beautiful.

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**A/N:** Hello, hello! First let me say this Ouran fanfic was inspired by the anime _The Wallflower_ and by the wonderful bands Yellowcard, Guster, Beirut. Especially Death Cab For Cutie. If it weren't for these creative works of art then Strawberry Flavor would have never been born. Above all, please enjoy the story and the crazy events that will occur along the way.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

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"_Perhaps luck exists somewhere between the world __of planning, the world of chance, and the peace that __comes from knowing that you just can't know it all."_

_- Little Black Book_

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It almost seemed like they were mannequins, flawless and beautiful, as they stood without moving in identical blue uniforms among all the expensive furnish in the high ceiling room. For a moment, the girl half thought she walked into a flower shop. The room was practically covered with flowers of all types and colors. The sweet aroma tickled her nose. There was an eighteen-carat gold chandelier with branches for several crystals of all sizes hanging above, velvet white victorian deep buttoned settees, round tables covered with lace clothes and decorated with floral center pieces and various desserts: fruit cream tarts, strawberry souffle, cheesecakes, layered chocolate cakes, and much more. All served on $90,000-a-piece plates. In the far back was - no joke - a display of a solid gold water fountain with rich melted chocolate falling from the top. It was like staring at a victorian tea party portrait made by a modern day Madeleine Lemaire.

To the girl's amaze, they were so good-looking that the light was actually emitting from their clear skin. Not one boy wasn't graced with the company of tiny sparkles that danced happily around their outline. She shied away from the glow, using her right arm to cover her eyes. It was just too intense to be looking at them directly.

"My _eyes_." She chocked, feeling every part of her body sizzle. "It's too bright!"

"Ah, what do we have here? Another wandering princess searching for her devoted prince charming?" Tamaki's voice was so perfect, it sounded more like he was singing rather than speaking. He sat in the center of the beautiful group, resting his chin upon the back of his palm with eyes closed. "No fear, my dear. For I, Suou Tamaki, is here to fulfill your every-"

"Eh? What's Creepy-chan doing here?" Interrupted two voices at the same time.

Amethyst eyes flashed open. Tamaki twisted around on his throne, and found two dull looking twins staring back at him. They blinked. "How dare you name call our new guest! Have you no decency?"

"Perhaps you should get your eyes checked, mi lord." They snickered which further confused the young president. The Hitachiin brothers pointed straight ahead at something behind Tamaki's shoulder. "Hope you like your princess scary looking."

"Don't be so rude guys." Haruhi was scowling at the two brothers. As she slowly turned her head, she said, "There's nothing wrong with the way she is dre-AH!" She shrieked, terrified by what she had seen.

The twins smirked, revealing rows and rows of perfect white teeth that would make any dental Hygienist proud. "Don't be so rude, Haruhi." They mocked, casually leaning on each others shoulders.

Wondering what could be so scary to cause his daughter to shrill like that, Tamaki finally turned his head and gazed across the room. Once the bright white light disappeared, they got a good look at the student who entered the club.

One look and that was all it took to make the Golden King gasp. Standing before the door was a lanky girl dressed in Ouran's school uniform for females. Except black. Her long outgrown, dark bangs hid the eyes that stared back at him. But most importantly, a ghost chilling, dark aura hovered around her body, raising goosebumps on the back of Tamaki's neck. She reminded him of that dead girl in the horror film known as _The Ring_.

"S-s-scary . . ." he stuttered, trembling in his throne. "Is that even human?"

Hani leaned forward. "Ooooo! I didn't know girls could choose between black uniforms and yellow uniforms." He cutely tilted his head to one side. "I like the yellow one better."

"They aren't supposed to." Corrected Kyouya in a deep voice. "She must of had a very convincing reason to cause the Superintended to give her the liberty of wearing a color that goes against Ouran dress code."

"Do you really think she swayed my father to wear that . . . that . . . dark color?" Asked Tamaki, appalled to hear this news. It was impossible to persuade his father, he would know. "Unless . . . unless she put a _spell_ on him!" The odds were high and in his eyes she looked capable for practicing witchcraft. Tamaki was afraid. "My father is under her magical hex!"

Kyouya hit Tamaki's head with the flat part of his planner. "Don't be an idiot."

"Afraid that's too late, Kyouya." Started the twins, knowing fully well Tamaki was bound to get upset.

"About sixteen years too late."

"Ha! Nice one."

Kaoru smiled at his brother. "Thanks."

The fear on Tamaki's face had melted into a scowl. He glared at the devilish twins. "Is that anyway to treat your good king?"

Their mouths twisted up into a smirk. _Bingo!_

"Say Kaoru, do you see a _good_ king in this room?"

"No. I don't, Hikaru. Oh! But look here! We do have an _idiot_ king. Does that count?"

"Better then nothing, I suppose."

Tamaki gasped and went straight for his corner of woe. "You guys are so hurtful." He mumbled miserably. The twins laughed it up.

The girl coward backwards until her shoulders met the door as she watched the beautiful boys argue. She covered her mouth, trying to hold back the scream that dared to explode. "They're . . . too . . . beautiful-" She muttered inside her clammy palms. Her tone of voice sounded terrified, as if this group was truly the bane of her existence.

But then she did scream when the twins grinning in her direction. She abruptly turned around, fidgeting with the door handles. "I have to get out! I have to get out of here!" She needed to hurry, fearing the brightness radiating from them would melt the skin right off her bones.

"Hikaru. Kaoru." Called Kyouya smoothly.

The two brothers looked over at him. "Yeah, what is it K.O?" They spoke in their typical could-careless voice.

"Don't you both have this student for a class?" He questioned, pushing his glasses up his nose.

The identical brothers rolled their eyes at the same time and returned their attention to the girl who was still struggling to get the doors open.

"Yeah . . . she first started school yesterday, but we don't talk to her." Started Kaoru. Then Hikaru finished the other half of the sentence by saying, "She's creepy looking and antisocial. Interacting with her could lower our reputation for being popular so we stay away." They shrugged their shoulders at the same time, not bothering to think over their selfish decision.

Kyouya stared at them. "That's not very nice to say about our guest." He hardly sounded disappointed.

"Oh! So, she's the transfer student from Kimagure High! Ren Ichihara?!" Exclaimed Tamaki, suddenly appearing in front of the whole group.

Her shoulders flinched, and her head jerked up. "How . . . do they know . . . my name?" She whispered to the door in front of her face, too soft to be heard by the human ear. "How would creatures of the light know . . . my name?" This fightened her. It was almost like taboo to speak of her name, especially by beautiful people.

"So that's Creepy-chan's real name?" Hikaru rubbed the back part of his head while peering at his brother as if waiting to be corrected by him. "Kinda . . . strange that she has one, if you think about it."

"Must you be so rude, Hikaru?" Tamaki stabbed the air with his finger. "It's not her fault she wasn't blessed with natural beauty. You should be extra nice to the unfortunate. It'll make them feel better about themselves and less unattractive." He smiled at himself as if he discovered a life changing solution.

"Selfish, rich goon." Grumbled Haruhi.

Kyouya gracefully opened the black planner in his arms. While pointing at a sentence on the first page, he read, "Ren Ichihara,"

By hearing her name for the second time, Ren glanced uneasy over her right shoulder and looked at Kyouya across the room through her unkempt bangs.

"Transferring from a commoners public high school, she is a first year student in Ouran Academy, and already has the second highest grade point average in her class. Haruhi coming in first, of course."

"Of course!" The twins congratulated Haruhi by patting her back, grinning on either side of her face. She narrowed her eyes at their foolish behavior, knowing very well they had already known that.

Kyouya smoothly continued. "Furthermore, she has moved in with her aunt, Manaka Ichihara: the wealthiest woman in the industry due to her successful business known as Setcom Corporation, a reliable computer company that has the most buyers than any other PC business of this century." He snapped the book shut, and glanced up to catch her staring at him. She cringed from seeing his gentle smile. "Welcome to the Ouran Host Club, Miss Ichihara. How may we serve you?"

She plunged forward to break out into a run, and collided with the doors. She had forgotten they were there. "Host Club?!" She squeaked, back pressed against the doors. "This is the Host Club?"

The gossip she accidently overheard from the girls in her homeroom flooded her mind like water filling up a glass. How could she have been so oblivious to the signs? They were practically thrown at her since she first stepped into the room - red rose petals, blinding light.

Tamaki flicked a loose strain of blond hair away from his eyes. His move was so perfect that tiny sparkles glistened in the air. "Well, of course. Why else would you see such handsome men lounging around here?" He sung, taking his sweet time as he approached the frightened first year. "Prosperous people have much time on their hands, and since we gentlemen have plenty of it . . . we give hospitality to the lovely ladies of this super-rich school . . . who also have time," he gave a light chuckle before adding, "and profit off of them."

Seeing how close he was, Ren gave the stubborn door another try. "I'm obviously in the wrong room! I'll be leaving now!" She noticed it was lock this whole time, and unlocked it swiftly. At the moment she was about to escape to the outside world, but a hand slammed the door closed in front of her face. It belonged to Tamaki.

"From my observations," He began slowly. Ren gulped when she felt his chest lightly press up her back. His warm breath teased her skin, and her shoulders instantly tensed. "You seem like the type of-" Tamaki paused, clueless on what to call her. He decided to play it safe. "Per-son with too much on their mind. Who's always busy doing this or that. You're the type who needs to relax. It would benefit you greatly if you designate one of us so we can_ ease_ your running . . . mind." He cooed in her ear.

A sudden jolt of anxiety spilled in her head, causing her to duck under his long arm that was leaning on the door and hurry away from him. He stumbled forward.

Kyouya nodded at Hikaru and Kaoru. They understood what he meant, and sprinted after the fleeing girl.

"I don't want to designate anyone! All I want is to find-EEK!" She shrilled, immediately stopping her feet before she ran into the two beautiful twins who blocked her path ahead. She succeeded. But ended up slipping and falling flat on her back.

The twins smiled shrewdly above her head with hands on their hips. "Those bangs are annoying. You should consider cutting them off." Bluntly suggested Hikaru.

"Or are you trying to hide something from us?" Asked Kaoru, bending forward a little.

"That's, none of your business!" Stammered Ren, crawling backwards.

A designer shoe stepped right behind her back, preventing her from inching any further. Her hidden eyes trailed up the long leg until she came in contact with Tamaki's flawless features. His bright characteristics shined down on her and you can almost hear the chorus of angels singing in the background.

"My eyes!" She put an arm over her face. He was by far the brightest out of all the other beautiful boys in the room.

_I must get out. I must find a way out of here before I melt to my demise. _

She assumed it will only be a matter of time until she finally melted into a puddle of flesh from all of the light emitting from the beautiful host club members, something she was not used to feeling. Beautiful people and Ren have never meshed . . .

. . . ever since that unforgettable day.

"You shouldn't be so reckless in your decisions." Tamaki squatted down in front of her, automatically causing her to recoil in fear. He smiled gently. "Allow me to introduce our club members. Once you see which one applies to your liking, then perhaps you will have a change in mind." He winked at her teasingly. Ren gulped. "Now, would you prefer The _Wild_ Type . . . The Loti-_Shota _Type . . . The Little _Devils_ Type . . . The _Cool_ Type . . . The _Natural_ Type. Or," he paused, taking her pointy chin in between his delicate fingers and leaned in real close to her face. "Would you rather desire the King, instead? What would it be, my sweet?"

Her jaw dropped.

The very touch of his perfect fingers on her flesh sent a thrill through her body. He, a beautiful creature, carved from the angels, had felt her hideous face. Unable to react, Ren stared motionless into Tamaki's eyes. It was extremely quiet in the room. All you can hear was a ticking sound from the grandfather clock, and Ren's uneven breathing. And then a warm sensation quickly rose from inside her nose and was released, gushing all over Tamaki's face.

"Ewwwwww . . . " slowly trailed off everyone at the same time.

"_Groooooss!_ Gross! Gross! Gross!" Repeated Hani, clinging onto Mori's slacks.

Mori, on the other hand, did not seem fazed by the sight. He simply stared monotonously.

"Forgive me," apologized Ren, wiping away the remains of blood on her nose with a small handkerchief. "That was not intentional."

As his whole face was still stained with her nose blood, Tamaki blinked his dot-sized eyes twice in confusion and then a third time.

"If you are not here to designate one of us, what is your purpose for coming here then?" Questioned Kyouya, walking from behind a blanked out Tamaki with his arms folded over his chest, business-like.

Ren looked up at him, not bothered by his intimidating demeanor. "I was searching for my lab partner. He missed out on today's Biology lecture about a project."

She showed Kyouya the paper in her hands. He reached down and took the sheet from her.

"Who is this lab partner of yours? We can help you look for him." Kindly suggested Haruhi.

"What do you mean _we_?" Hikaru really wanted to know.

"She's so scary looking that she might be lying about the entire thing just to get us alone and to chop our heads clean off." Kaoru used his fingers as a knife and pretended to slit his own throat.

"Now way!" Gasped Hani, hands on either side of his face while tears ran down his cheeks.

Haruhi grimaced. "Honestly guys, that was the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard."

They shrugged. "It could happen."

"She's not lying." Kyouya looked up from the paper in his hand. "This instruction sheet explains everything about a Biology project." He returned the paper back to Ren on the floor who impolitely snatched it back. He merely smiled suspiciously.

"Yayayaya! In that case, we can help Re'ni-chan find her partner!" Celebrated Hani, jumping up and down happily. "It'll be like an adventure."

The twins tilted their heads to one side while raising their eyebrows. "Re'ni-chan?"

"No. It's fine." Hani stopped hopping and looked over at Ren as she rose to her feet. "I don't need anyone's help. I'm already used to doing things on my own, so it's no big deal." She said in a dull tone, wiping imaginary dust from her dress.

Those words made Haruhi frown.

Watching her form retreating to the double doors, Kyouya tilted his chin up. "Hikaru. Kaoru. Didn't you two miss out on a class earlier today in order to attend the Kawaii Brunch?"

The twins looked at each other, pondering for about a moment and then nodded, turning back. "Yeah, what of it?"

A sly grin graced his face. "Hold on, Miss Ichihara."

With her hand already on the handle, she reluctantly stopped herself from opening the door when she heard Kyouya call her. So close to leaving, she thought.

"Is there by any chance your lab partners surname could be Hitachiin?"

"WHAAAAAA?!" Shouted the twins, throwing their arms above their heads.

A dark aura formed, floating ominously around her body image. "Yes . . . do you know where I can find him?" Ren slowly turned her head around, giving the Host Club a creepy grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Kyouya put his middle finger over the center of his glasses to keep them in place as he lowered his head a little bit. "Indeed, I do know where."

The two brothers screamed like frightened little girls and their entire bodies instantly transformed into two motionless statues with the same terrified expressions frozen on their stone-like faces. Tamaki suddenly appeared in between the two Hitachiin statues, his face perfect and clear again. Now was his chance to get back at the twins after everything they had put him through in the past. Grinning like a mad fool, he brought out his cellphone from his pocket.

"Yes. You can bring it out now." He spoke like a lunatic. Laughing hysterically, he took one long step away from the twins.

Without warning, a large wrecking ball swooshed in and smashed Hikaru and Kaoru into millions of tiny pieces.

Haruhi sighed. "Was that really necessary, Senpai?"

"But of course, my little flower." Tamaki smoothly slid to her side, He swung a long arm behind her back and brought her close, squashing her against his body. "Let me put it this way. It was more like a wake-up call for them." He smiled ever so charmingly.

"Sure it was." She pinched his wrist.

Tamaki instantly jerked back his arm, exactly what Haruhi had hoped for, and blew cool air on the throbbing area.

The twins composed themselves. Hikaru jumped to his feet and pointed at Ren across the room. "Ha! You're mistaken, Creepy-chan! I was already assigned two lab partners three days ago! And you're not one of them."

Kaoru stood up and pointed along with his brother. "Same here! My lab partners names are Senkei Egami and Jin Toma." He exclaimed proudly.

Ren shook her head. "Nope."

"_Nope?!_" they both echoed, confused. "What do you mean _nope?!_"

She sighed, not really in the mood to explain the obvious. "Since I am new to the class, the groups can now be distributed evenly. The professor reassigned partners to everyone because now there can be groups of two, instead of three. You two may have different partners by now."

The twins frowned, slowly lowering their arms in defeat. There goes their reputation for being popular. One of them was Ren Ichihara partner, the creepiest girl in Ouran Academy. How depressing.

Tamaki smirked deviously behind Haruhi's shoulder. He knew what was going through the twins heads and he was loving the odds.

In his inner mind theater, he can picture Kaoru being sawed in half by an evil Ren, holding a huge saw in her hand. Then the image blurred before changing. He now can see Hikaru slowly being lowered into a human-sized pot containing boiling hot water with Ren chuckling evilly as she managed the pulley.

_Yes . . . yes! With Hikaru or Kaoru out of the way, I can finally be with my Haruhi without them interfering our wonderful and romantic moments. _

Stars twinkled in Tamaki's eyes. It was like a dream come true.

"You're lab partner is," Kyouya closed his eyes and the tension in the club increased.

Tamaki leaned forward to hear what Kyouya was about to announce. Hikaru and Kaoru followed suit, anxiously bringing their clenched hands to their mouths, biting their nails. Kyouya raised his right arm and with a thin finger, pointed directly at one of the Hitachiin twins.

"Hikaru Hitachiin."

Hikaru's and Ren's eyes snapped wide open.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" They shouted, throwing their heads back.

Their upset cry was lost in Tamaki's evil laughter. He grabbed his stomach as he hunched his back a little.

Haruhi stared at him, as if he really was insane. "What's so funny, Senpai?"

Quickly getting over his laughter, he slid his arm across her back and brought her close, just like his first attempt. "Nothing really. Only . . . this is a start of a wonderful beginning, my rose petal."

"Sure it is."

Haruhi pinched the same area on his palm. Like the first time, Tamaki jerked his arm back and cradled his throbbing hand while blowing cool air over it. Silent tears spilled over his cheeks as he mentally convinced himself she did that out of love.

"How do you know, Kyouya?" Asked Kaoru.

"His name was on the instruction sheet."

Ren collapsed to her hands and knees. _No . . . this has to be a mistake. Not_ that _Hikaru Hitachiin. Not the beautiful creature. _She could not believe she was paired up with one of the bright ones. Out of all the normal students in her Biology class, why did she end up with him? Can this be linked to her common bad days? She grimaced. Bad luck always seemed to catch her off guard. _Will I be able to survive his dazzling presents? _

She timidly gazed over at Hikaru to find him in the same position she was in.

"Hikaru? Are you alright?" Kaoru kneeled down on one leg beside his identical twin and put a comforting hand on his left shoulder.

Hikaru ignored his brother. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think on the positive side of things. _It can't be all that bad. She's still a girl and all girl's are the same. You can get through this, Hikaru. _

Opening his eyes, he slowly looked over at Ren.

When their eyes met, they immediately looked the other way in disgust.

_Yeah, right!_ They both thought.

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**A/N:** I had so much fun writing this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and will now move forward into chapter 3.

Happy reading!


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"It's a disaster. It's an incredible mess."

- Ok Go

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Long, pale fingers trailed up her neck - barely touching flesh - slowly inching towards her chin. The flushed girl kept her head tilted back, feeling the world spin beneath her feet. With eyes closed and mouth open, she let out a surprised gasp when her host now caressed the point of her chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"Yes . . . I would love you to." She allowed him, completely out of breath.

He smiled attractively. "I was hoping you'd say that. Now . . . spread them for me, my love."

His low, velvety voice sent shivers down her back. She opened her green eyes half-way and did as she was told. After all, she didn't want to disappoint her sweet prince. She can now feel her intense blush getting deeper as he took his sweet time; teasing her. Once her tongue tasted the homemade cookie, the sweet and salty flavors excited her taste buds.

"Mmm! It's very delicious, Tamaki-kun." She sighed dreamingly, getting lost in his godly eyes.

Smiling warmly, Tamaki leaned in real close to her face. "Not as delicious as your lips." His warm breath faintly wafted over her trembling lips, driving her over the edge.

"Oh . . . Tamaki-kun,"

The two girl's behind the overwhelmed second year student had abruptly grabbed each other's hands and squealed excitedly. "Do us next, Tamaki-_kuuuuuuun_!" They screamed, cheeks flushed.

Across the room, Haruhi excused herself from her giggling designators and walked over to Kyouya sitting alone at a table. She put a fist over her mouth and cleared her throat. The vice-president pretended not have heard her, typing away on his calculator.

"How are they doing?" She asked.

Kyouya quickly jotted down the results he received on the calculator before answering, "If you mean, how are Miss Ichihara and Hikaru doing, then there has not been much progress. They still refuse to be near each other, let alone sit in the same table." His fingers were flying over the keys on the calculator, multiplying and dividing the given numbers.

She sat down in front of him, putting her hands on her lap. "In other words, it's bad?"

"Very." He added without meeting her gaze.

"I think it's her fault." Out of nowhere, Kaoru pulled up a chair next to Haruhi and took a seat. He sneered at Haruhi's lost expression. "I'm just saying,"

"Huh . . ." she trailed off in thought. Turning her head to the right, she searched for the two lab partners in the club.

Far on the other side of the room, near the floor-to-ceiling windows, she found Hikaru leaning back in one of the love-seats, one leg over the other, while Ren sat on the other side of the coffee table, squeezing her hands over her lap and head lowered.

"I wonder why she's afraid of us." Haruhi said, watching as Ren's hands trembled on her lap. It puzzled Haruhi, and at the same time concerned her. "I can't help but get the impression that she thinks we're going to hurt her."

Kaoru shrugged his shoulders. "She's strange. What do you expect?"

"Kaoru!" The voice startled the Hitachiin, and he jumped in his seat. "Why aren't you tending to your customers? I can expect this sort of behavior coming from Haruhi and Kyouya, but _you_?" Questioned Tamaki as he approached the group with long strides.

"Is it not _that _obvious?" He rested his chin upon his right hand, looking annoyed. "Since Hikaru is busy with the new girl, there's no way I can host. It won't be the same."

Tamaki considered his words. "Hm, I suppose you're right." He paused for a good long second, and then seemed to remember something. "How long did you say this project was going to take?"

"I think it's due at the end of the semester." Replied Kaoru.

Tamaki was relieved to know Hikaru's project would not interfere with his hosting duties until the end of the school year. "Your brother can put his assignment on hold then." He said happily. "Hosting comes first."

But Kaoru was already shaking his head in disagreement. "I think he should start working on his project as soon as possible. It could take him a little longer to finish. As you can already see, they don't like each other very much."

Tamaki glanced over at the two lab partners and quickly understood what Kaoru meant. His eyes slightly narrowed. And then the emotion disappeared from his handsome face before anyone could notice. "I guess that's not too bad."

"Maybe for them it isn't, but for us, we may have a problem."

"What do you mean, Kyouya?" Haruhi was curious.

He set down the pen in his hand and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "According to the organizations financial assets that I just calculated for the upcoming months, if the twins don't host then we may loose a great amount of profit."

Tamaki gasped. "Over something so small?"

Kyouya pushed his glasses up the bridge of his narrow nose. "A large percent of the customers may not like the idea of us having to postpone their hosting due to Hikaru's Biology project, which evidently may lead them to resign as designators. And there, lady and gentlemen, lies the problem."

The shocking news hit Tamaki square in the head. Though grades are essential, can it be more important than his precious Host Club?

"However," Kyouya looked up at his president with a stern expression. "If Miss Ichihara were to become a designator for the club, paying us each time she visits Hikaru, than everything should be fine, maybe even better. Her connections with Manaka Ichihara may increase our income."

Kaoru snickered at the idea. "And how do you suppose we do that? They hate each other."

"I got it!" Haruhi, Kyouya, and Kaoru turned to look at their president. All signs of distress had vanished, and Tamaki smirked cleverly. "We will use the most influential, and powerful effect known to mankind."

"What would that be?" Asked Haruhi.

He turned around swiftly on the balls of his feet, giving his audience his back. "Force." It was said with so much confidence that even Kyouya was convinced. They watched Tamaki slowly raise one hand above his head, and with a strong voice he announced, "Ren Ichihara!" From across the large room, Ren shot her head up and looked at him. "From here on forward," - he let his arm drop, pointing at her - "you are _officially_ Hikaru's designator!"

"WHAT?!" Angrily shouted Hikaru as he abruptly sat upright. "Are you mad?"

With the smile still on his face, Tamaki placed a hand over his chin. "In the Ouran Host Club contract, it enforces that a lady who spends more than twenty-minutes with a Host - within the walls of this club - must become his designator without questioning." He gracefully brought a random girl to her feet from a chair, sliding his other free hand around her small waist - purposely pressing her closer to his body. "A humble male cannot help but bask in a lady's beauty. Wouldn't you say so yourself, my love?"

The girl timidly turns her head away, blushing madly. "Anything you say, Tamaki-kun . . ."

All of the girl's squealed excitedly.

Hikaru brows pressed together. "What are you rambling about this time? I don't remember agreeing to that."

"That's because there's no such contract."Kyouya thought out loud, and Tamaki hushed him.

"I . . . I can't." Everyone glanced in the direction Ren's soft voice came. She was anxiously staring at the floor between her worn out sneakers. "I won't put myself in a dangerous position."

_I would surely melt if I stay here longer than nessecary. There's only so much I can take from the light._

When the girls in the room heard her object to being Hikaru's customer, they began to whisper with one another about her. Ren felt someone was staring at her and looked up to discover she was correct. She frowned at the words that traveled to her red ears.

"Is she crazy or something? Who doesn't want to be Hikaru-kun's designator?"

"I know. She doesn't even deserve to be a designator. Look at her, she's ugly."

"She doesn't deserve him, period."

Her teeth clenched together to hold in the tears. This wasn't the place, or the time to ball her eyes out. It seemed like now everyone was against her. She suddenly felt out of place. She needed reassurance and somehow her gaze fell on her beautiful partner across the table. He was smiling in a way that told her he agreed with the other girls. She frowned even more.

_They're right . . . _

The warm wetness stung the corners of her eyes, knowing it was the truth and nothing will ever change that.

Hikaru watched her with a wide grin. He knew Tamaki's plan wasn't going to work on her, and once she refused him for a third time, he would drop the idea of making her his designator. All he needed to do was sit back and watch everything fall into place.

"Any minute now." Suddenly, his eyes caught something glistening behind Ren's bangs. He carefully scrutinized her face, or, at least what he could see among all that hair. _Is she crying, _he thought.

Tamaki shook his head, smiling. "Sorry, Ren. It is a rule and it must be followed." He said, devoid of any ill-intentions.

Hands curled into tight fists, Ren bowed her head and shouted, "No! I don't want to become a designator for this _stupid_ club!"

Tamaki's natural color drained away almost instantly as he stood flabbergasted with a twitching eye.

Many surprised gasps echoed after another throughout the grand music room, followed by an eerie silence. At that moment, Ren stood up and ran for the doors. She rubbed her eyes with the back part of her hand before rushing through the small opening between the two double doors, leaving them ajar.

"Why did Re'ni-chan leave?" Pouted Hani and looked up at Mori for an answer.

Mori shook his head, not knowing himself.

"Well," Kyouya said with a sigh, and rose from his chair. "That went well."

"Senpai?"

With knees pressed against his chest, Tamaki faced the gloomy corner alone. "For the very first time . . . a girl does not love my club . . . I thought I'll never see the day . . . " He moped.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "You're acting like a five year old. Not everyone in this world is going to like something about you, so you shouldn't let it get to you. The wisest choice you can make is to forget about it and move foward."

Pouting, he glanced over his shoulder and found Haruhi with her hands on her hips. The way she looked made him smile cutely.

"KAWAII HARUHI!" Tamaki leaped at her with arms wide open, all signs of depression had vanished. Staring at him indifferntly, she took one quick step to the left and he fell face first on the floor. "Why must you be so mean to me?" He mumbled on the floor, sounding like a hurt little boy.

Haruhi closed her eyes while her eyebrows foward irritably. "You don't always have to attack someone with a hug. A simple thank you is just as effective."

Tamaki sulked some more.

Kyouya walked up to Hikaru relaxing on the loveseat with hands behind his head. "You know . . . a true gentleman would make sure Miss Ichihara is doing well." He suggested, stopping beside him.

"You're right." Hikaru agreed without opening his eyes. "Why aren't _you_ checking up on her?"

He smirked from Hikaru's clever remark. "She's not my lab partner. If anything, you should at least pretend to like her, seeing since you're going to be stuck with her for the remaining of this semester."

He glared up at him with one eye. He knew Kyouya was right, and it annoyed him . . . a lot.

Sliding the planner under his arm, Kyouya glanced down at him. "It wouldn't hurt."

"Speak for yourself." Grumbled Hikaru under his breath, and sluggishly got up. "This is stupid." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked away from his Senpai.

"Where are you going?" Asked Kyouya, barely sounding interested.

"To go see if Creepy-chan isn't putting a curse on the club." Grimaced Hikaru, grating to the doors.

Tilting his head a little, a white glare reflected off of Kyouya's glasses and blocked his eyes. His lips slowly curved into a knowing grin. "Good."


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Sobs were heard in a nearby girl's restroom, not too far away from the Host Club. Inside, Ren sat in the last restroom stall, crying with her face in her hands. Many lines of tears traveled down her chin, falling on her chest in random dark spots. After reducing her sobs to short sniffles, her hands slid down her face and stopped over her mouth to muffle her sudden hiccups.

She was alone, exactly how she liked it. No one to hurt her feelings and no one to bother her. One annoying part about being alone was your mind tended to reflect over the past, bringing back memories that repeated over and over; like a broken record. Except the record player refused to stop at your command. For Ren, the only memory repeating in her head were the echoing voices of those Ouran girls.

_Look at her, she's ugly._

_She doesn't deserve him, _**period**_._

She wiped the tears from her face. "Almost-the same words-how ironic." She mumbled in between sudden hiccups. Those words were fairly similar compared to the ones she heard on that unforgettable day four years ago. Though she tried really hard to forget, the past always seemed to haunt her. She sniffed.

"Hey, Creepy-chan! Are you in here?"

Ren's head shot up when the door to her restroom stall fling wide open, revealing a dazzling Hikaru behind it. It was like a dozen headlights were shining behind him. She leaned back against the wall, covering her eyes from his beautiful looks.

"EEK! My eyes!" She cried out in pain. How the heck did she not hear him come in the restroom?

"Why did you run away like that?" He glared down at her, ignoring her comment. "We haven't started our project. Did you expect me to do it all for you?"

"This is a girl's restroom! Get out!" Shouted Ren.

"Answer the question!" He insisted.

"I don't need to answer to anyone, so just leave me alone," Ren tied to close the door, but Hikaru put all his weight against it.

"Not until you give me that answer." Reminded Hikaru, stubbornly. "As much as I hate to be your lab partner for the rest of this year, I have no choice but to deal with you. In order for that to happen, we need to have an understanding about each other, got it!" Blood suddenly squarted out from Ren's nose and Hikaru pulled back, wiping his face angrily. "What's wrong with you,"

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I have no control over it."

He scoffed at her poor excuse and shoved his hands deep inside his pockets, staring off at something outside of the little restroom stall Ren occupied. "Not like I care, or anything, but . . . why were you crying?" He asked in a much calmer tone.

The corners of her lips pull into a frown. She remembered him smiling when those Ouran girls talked bad about her. Ren slowly lowered her head and long black hair slid over her shoulders, curtaining around her face to hid herself. "Why are you asking? You heard what those girls said about me," She said slowly, feeling slightly awkward.

He raised one eyebrow. "Heard who?"

She slowly shook her head, black hair swaying side to side. "A beautiful creature like you would never understand someone like me. So there's no point in trying."

"I'll be the judge of that." He glanced sideways at her with an uncaring expression. He noticed she still had her face hidden behind the thick black hair. His eyebrow twitched. _Such annoying bangs._

A long pause fell between them. Seconds quickly passed by as Ren thought over his words very carefully.

Why not tell him? He was right about them needing to understand each other since they _are_ going to be partners for the entire year. That made her cringed. Being with a dazzling boy for that long was going to be a living hell. Literally. But the main question was, could she be able to live without melting? There was only one way to know.

Just when Hikaru was about to yell at her for being a stubborn idiot, Ren finally spoke.

"I suppose," she paused, hesitant, thinking over her decision one final time. "I can tell you." Ren took a deep breath, carfully sorting her words in her head. "When I heard those girls back in the club . . . it made me remember _him_." Hikaru raised an inquisitive brow at the word 'him', and by the way she said it - painful, almost. "In middle school," she continued, "I went up to my crush one day . . ."

_A fairly young Ren stood in front of a boy in a black school uniform with his hands tucked inside his brown slacks. Her hair was shorter then, reaching her mid-back. She kept her face down, trying to avoid eye contact and took interest in the dirty concrete under her feet._

_"Ever since I saw you last year," she began slowly, trying to locate some courage. She just had to get it off of her chest. "I've been . . . meaning to tell you . . . I really like you, Senpai, and if we could-"_

_"I'm sorry," he casually cut her off. "But I'm not interested in dating you." _

_The boy calmly walked passed her. Not once giving her a backward glance. He simply walked away and dissapeared behind the corner as if her confession had never happened. She was alone, with only her thoughts to keep her company. After staring at the ground for six minutes, which felt like an eternity to her, Ren moved without really thinking, and leaned back against the Physical Education Building wall. One by one, tears fell from her eyes when everything slowly started to sink in._

_"He doesn't like me . . ."_

_Word about what happened to Ren spread through each classroom in the whole school by the next day. She could hear her classmates whispering behind her back during class sessions._

_"That's the girl I was telling you about. The one that got rejected by the prince."_

_"Well I'm glad. She doesn't deserve to be his girlfriend. Look at her, she's ugly."_

_"She doesn't deserve him, period."_

_"I heard the reason why he rejected her was because he hates ugly girls with little money in their pockets."_

_"Ha! That should do it."_

_They giggled._

_It was direct and completely unexpected. She was ugly? This boy, the most popular boy in school, saw her ugly? Her heart shattered and crumbled after hearing those girls talk about her behind her back. He _**hates**_, not dislikes, but _**hates**_ ugly girls? Then that means she must be an ugly girl since he rejected her. _

_How could this have happened? Oh, but she had always tried to look pretty. Eating healthy, wearing all the latest trends, using cosmetics and maintaining clear skin. _

_Despite all of her hard efforts . . . she was still ugly? _

_Her world disintegrated beneath their feet, the ones who were prettier than her. She can never compare. She can never become one of them . . . the beautiful. The dazzling._

"After that horrible day, I decided to change my appearance. There was no point to care about my looks anymore since the world saw me a hideous monster. I stopped using make-up . . . checking for pimples . . . looking in the mirror everyday. If I do this, then I don't have to compare myself with pretty girls. I'm happier that way."

She kept her gaze on the restroom floor between her two feet, trying to hide the pools of blood circling her pale cheeks. It was embarrassing to be telling something so personal to a dazzling creature.

"It's easier being alone." She added bleakly. "No one to hurt you."

Hikaru stared at her. He was confused by her choice of actions. She shouldn't have changed anything about herself all because of a rumor about her being ugly. It was stupid. No. She was stupid.

"That's it? That's the reason why you're acting like this? Over what you heard some girls say?" He asked, trying to understand her.

Her eyes narrowed behind her bangs. "I knew you wouldn't understand me. It's impossible for you. Now go away!" Ren quickly turned around with a hand covering her face.

"Go away?" Hikaru repeated, offended. "Here I am, trying to be nice to you, yet, selfishly, you tell me to _go away_?" He glanced up and noticed she had given her back to him. Thinking she was purposely not paying attention, he got annoyed and his temper shot to the roof. The following words came out in a fury rush. "The only reason why I came after you was because I was forced! Don't think it was because I cared!"

He turned around and stormed away. Ren listened to his retreating footsteps resounding in the restroom. A door squeaked open and then slammed shut. The stalls trembled.

She was alone.

Tilting her head up, her straight, black hair slid away from her face, revealing blood pouring profusely in between her fingers. "I don't know how much longer I can take these nosebleeds." She tugged on the toilet paper roll and began to clean her bloody mouth and chin with it.

His words did not hurt her feelings. She had already guessed those were his reasons for following her in the first place.

"There has to be a way to finish the project without working with the dazzling creature."

* * *

Hikaru glared over his shoulder at the girl's restroom door because of the person inside.

"Stupid girl." He scoffed with his eyes closed.

"Hikaru!" Shouted Tamaki, grabbing Hikaru's shoulders. He was taken back, not expecting to see Tamaki. "What's wrong with you?! That's no way to treat a lady! Haven't I taught you anything?"

"Idiot! You scared me half to death!"

"Don't change the subject!" Tamaki shook him for each word that passed through his perfect lips. "You. Apologize. To. Her. Right. NOW!"

"Why should I?!" He shouted in Tamaki's face. "She's a stubborn idiot who doesn't let anybody get close to her! If anyone should be apologizing, it should be her!"

"Regardless what she will do, that wasn't very nice of you." Spoke Haruhi. It was then Hikaru noticed his friends standing behind Tamaki. "It isn't her fault for not trusting people so easily."

Hikaru was staring at them. "Uhhh . . . how do you know this?"

"We eavesdropped." Kyouya answered for Haruhi.

"She shouldn't let what other people think get to her like this." Haruhi crossed her arms. "It's useless. No matter how hard you try to be perfect, there will always be someone who doesn't like you."

"It's obvious to see Miss Ichihara isn't used to people being kind to her, so you have no other choice but to tolerant her sensitive behavior until she finally trusts you, Hikaru."

Everyone agreed with Kyouya by nodding their heads demandingly.

He stared at Kyouya for a moment before glancing at Haruhi by his side. Hikaru grimaced, and looked away. He hated seeing those brown eyes of hers staring at him like he was just nominated as Most Asshole. Why was everyone taking that girl's side? Why was _Haruhi _taking that girl's side? Why was his own _brother _taking that girl's side? They do not even know her well enough to be talking kindly about her. He could not understand.

"So she used to be normal . . . " Mused Kaoru out loud.

Hani nodded with a trembling lip. He wanted to cry. "Poor Re'ni-chan."

"To think this poor young lady lived with the mentality that she is an ugly girl," dramatically chimed Tamaki, tilting his chin up. He released one hold from Hikaru's shoulder to place it over his forehead. "It's depressing!"

"Fine! Fine!' Hikaru pushed Tamaki away from him, getting everyone's point. "I'll go apologize to her. Happy now?"

Tamaki smiled gently. "Yes."

"Yeah, whatever." Hikaru opened the door to the girl's restroom and stormed inside.

"I've never been inside a girl's restroom before." Sighed Hani with amazement, taking in every detail around him.

"It's no different from a boy's restroom." Haruhi assured, shaking her head.

"Are you serious, Haruhi?" Gasped Karou, pretending to be amazed. "So, you're telling me we have pink and fluffy towels in out restroom as well? What a shocker! I never knew and that's because I've been in there."

"You don't have to be so sarcastic about it." Glowered Haruhi.

"Well, sorry, Haruhi. Sarcasm is my nature."

Hikaru opened the same stall he left Ren in. There was nothing but a single toilet. He blinked with blank confusion, wondering where she disappeared to.

"She's gone . . . " he mumbled.

Everyone else peeked over Hikaru's shoulders, curiously looking inside the empty restroom stall.

"Huh? Where else could she have gone?" Questioned Tamaki. "There's only one exit."

"Ya think she sneaked out when we weren't looking?" Inquired Kaoru, looking at Tamaki.

"We were all facing the door, so we should have seen her." Replied Haruhi, gaining everyones attention.

A mysterious breeze caused their hair to sway and, at the same time, the host club switched their eyes to the open window behind them.

"Such an annoying school. Can't a girl cry in peace without people shouting outside the restroom door?" Ren carefully lowered herself on the rain pipe.

She decided the only option she had in order to avoid the beautiful creature was by persuading her Biology professor about putting her with a different partner. No dazzling Hikaru meant no more nosebleeds. Simple as that.

Hikaru stuck his head out of the window.

"This is stupid. Who would actually climb down the-" once he looked down the building wall, he immediately spotted Ren two stories below. His eyes widen. "Oh, shit!" He quickly climbed through the small window and stepped on the edge. "I found her! She's climbing down the building!"

"What?!"

"She's gonna jump!"

"You should have said sorry sooner, Hikaru."

"Be careful!" Shouted Kaoru.

"I will!" He promised, and grabbed onto the same rain pipe Ren was using to lower herself. He looked down. "Hey, don't move!"

Ren heard a voice and looked up to see who was yelling. Distress quickly washed over face when she saw Hikaru above.

"Stay away from me!" She demanded, climbing down faster.

"Are you crazy? Get back up here! If you die then how am I going to get a grade on the project? I'm not getting an "F" in Biology because of your stupid-ness!"

"There's no point in being your partner when I'm always miserable around you!" Bluntly shouted Ren.

"You little twerp. Stop acting stupid." Hikaru extended his arm out so she could take his hand. "Climb back up! You shouldn't go killing yourself over what I said! It's not worth it, okay!"

She paused. "What?"

"Don't jump!" He shouted, loud enough for the entire host club to hear inside the restroom.

"What are you talking about?" She was confused. "I'm not going to jump!"

Hikaru blinked a few times. "You mean . . . you're not out here to kill yourself because of what I told you a while ago?"

"Of course not! I climbed out of the window to avoid confronting you."

"Oh . . ." Embarrased after hearing her reasons, he glanced over his shoulder to glare at Tamaki who smiled sheepishly. "She wasn't going to jump you moron."

"Well, it could've been possible, ne?" Tamaki chuckled nervously.

Shaking his head, Hikaru looked back outside and nearly fell over when he saw her still climbing down the school buidling. "Wait! Don't climb any further! We'll sort out this problem inside!"

"I refuse to work with someone who's potentially hazardous to my health!"

Suddenly, Ren's hands became very clammy after seeing Hikaru's beautiful face for too long, and lost her grip on the steel pipe. In the most terrifying motion she had ever experienced, Ren felt herself begin to fall. Her scream got stuck in the back of her throat.

"Dammit!" Without thinking, Hikaru took a perfect swan dive off the building edge.

"_Hikaruuuuuu!_" Kaoru's stomach flipped when he saw his brother drop from the building edge.

Everyone panicked. Except for one.

"Relax." Kyouya said. "They'll be fine."

The only thing running through Hikaru's mind was to reach Ren before she met the ground. They quickly passed windows after windows. The sharp wind whistled against his ears, howling angrily as he began to descend faster.

Ren's long black hair whipped wildly around her face, flowing pass her thin body. Through the sea of black locks, she could see Hikaru getting closer. He looked almost like an angel coming to her rescue.

_He's risking his own life . . . for me?_

_Why?_

When he was at arms width away, Hikaru reached out for Ren. "Grab on!" He demanded as strands of her black hair coursed around his arm like gentle vines.

Ren shot her hand towards him, and locked it with his.

"I got you." He assured, and protectively slid his other hand around her small waist, bringing her closer to his body as they continued to fall together.

A couple of stories down, there was a huge safety mattress already laid out. In a matter of seconds, the two students plummet onto the large, puffy mattress. The air wheezed out from the force of the fall. The two students lay safe and unharmed.

Placing a hand over her forehead, Ren slowly leaned forward. Hikaru saw her moving closer so he automatically pushed himself away, allowing her to sit upright. Hikaru suddenly remembered he needed to apologize to Ren. Taking in a deep breath, he looked straight at her face.

"Listen," he started hesitantly, "I need to tell you something."

Ren tilted her chin up and met Hikaru's golden eyes. A divine light separated her bangs from the center, like curtains opening for a performance. Without her long bangs in the way anymore, the light burned her eyes twenty times more than normally. Ren saw everything. Hikaru was sitting with one leg on either side of her body. The position was too intense for her.

"I'm . . . " he sighed in discomfort, and turned away. Somehow talking to her while staring at the ground calmed the pride raging inside him - which he still considered the entire appology a waste. Finally, he was able to start again. "I'm . . . sorry for acting like a jerk." Hikaru swallowed back the sneer that dared to explode. "I had . . . no right to yell at you like that."

No replay came to his ears. The left brow twitched.

"Hey, are you listening to me?!" Hikaru paused, and stared at Ren with blank confusion when he noticed her body was trembling.

Before he could ask her what was wrong, she fell back on the mattress with a fountain of blood spouting from her nostrils.

Tamaki ran to the large mattress. He gave one look at the unconscious girl and burst into tears.

"_Oooooo,_ we were too late!" He threw his head back with tears streaming down his cheeks. "She's _deaaaaaad!_ Oh, the horror! Oh, the woe! If only Hikaru apologized to her sooner, than maybe, _just maybe_, she wouldn't have fallen to Death's cruel and callous hands!"

"She isn't dead, you drama queen!" Snapped Hikaru, sliding off the large safety mattress. "She just fainted."

"Hikaru!"

That voice! Turning his head, Hikaru saw his dear brother rushing toward him with rapid speed. "Kaoru . . . " he breathed sadly.

Kaoru leaped into his elder brother's arms, beyond relieved to see him safe and sound. "I was so scared. I thought . . . " Kaoru could not even say it out loud. He nuzzled his face in the nape of Hikaru's neck, and shook the horrible thought from his mind. "Never! Never do that to me again."

Hikaru felt guilty. He tightened his embrace, and pressed his cheek against Kaoru's crown. "Forgive me . . . I did not mean to worry you, brother."

"Yay! Hika-chan and Re'ni-chan are okay!" Happily celebrated Hani riding piggy-back on a expresionless Mori.

"Thank goodness." Sighed Haruhi.

Ren laid on her back in a puddle of her own blood.

"I was under his beautiful body . . . the forbidden position." She muttered to herself. Thin lines of blood continued to leak from her nose as the image of him straddling her waist lingered in her mind. Ren covered her red face with both hands, and shouted, "I can't wait to change partners and get him out of my life forever!"

"I'm afraid that won't happen, Miss Ichihara."

Kyouya closed his cell phone. "That was your aunt I was just talking to. As vice-president of the host club, it's my responsibility to inform every students legal guardian about the advantages belonging to our club. So, naturally, I told your aunt about the numerous peers you would befriend, and surprisingly she agreed on letting you join as one of our designators."

Ren stopped breathing.

"Your aunt and I both agreed that you are expected to attend every special event that we host. We open everyday after school." A warm smile lighten his indifferent expression, but Ren didn't buy it.

She was not oblivious or naive to his plot. Though he was smiling, though he implied it was an accident, she knew it was all an act. She knew it was not by sheer coincidence that he told her aunt about _"peer bonding," _something she hoped for her dear niece to accomplish while attending Ouran. But what Ren didn't know was how he manage to gain that kind of information.

"A genius, as always, Kyouya." Praised Tamaki. "Excellent work."

"Hey, Kyouya-Senpai." Called Haruhi. "How did you know Hikaru was going to jump after Ren?"

The vice-president shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't."

"Then where did this safety mattress come from?" Asked Hani.

"It was there for the Fire Department Club." Kyouya pointed at something over their shoulders. The host club turned around, and stiffened. There was a group of young students dressed in fire-fighter gear standing behind them, and glaring.

Horror flashed across Hikaru's face. "So, I could have died . . . just then?"

Kyouya nodded. "Undeniably."

"Well, I believe this is where we part for now." Tamaki said. "Adieu, Ren. Adieu."

As the members of the host club made their way to the main building, Ren came to a final conclusion: her life was destroyed, and her plans were officially crushed. It was impossible to get rid of the creature of the light now. She was stuck with him for the whole year as his lab partner and as his daily designator.

He will be the death of her.

Can things get any worse?

"HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE TO SUFFER?" She shouted to the world.

But the world ignored her. It had better things to do.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

* * *

It has been over two hours since she sat in the same spot, under the same tree, reading the same book, doing absolutely nothing. Well, depends if you consider _reading_ doing something. Even though reading fell under the verb category, to Ren Ichihara it was nothing different then sitting by yourself and dazing off with your head stuck in the clouds – something she missed doing from time to time.

Ren was not always a studious bookworm with her mind set on academic achievements and education. In fact, books were never her "thing." She preferred watching zombie movies over her Geology homework any day. But that behavior changed almost immediately during the summer before her first year in middle school.

After hearing her parents converse about money being a serious issue now that her father lost his job, it would seem the only place her head would be stuck in was in a picture-less textbook. Booo . . .

Although she was never truly fond of novels, on this particular day, she was especially glad to have one in her possession.

Thanks to time management, Ren completed her homework for each of her classes. She did not feel like going home yet, mainly because her bubbly aunt would be there, so she began reading a book that was assigned by her teacher. Ren wasn't surprised to see a bookstore in Ouran Academy; seriously, they had everything else so why not a bookstore. However, what did surprise her was the insanely high book price. She practically threw her allowance out the window. But as Ren read more and more, she forgot all about the 150 dollars, and sighed with content.

She was thankful the story was decent enough to keep her interested in the plotline. Unlike other books, this one drew her to it. Without realizing, she found herself turning the pages and actually enjoying herself. It was amazing. There had never been an assigned book that had her reading its chapters so intently. She giggled.

"'_There she always felt secure, as if no one could see her, although as a matter of fact she was exposed to the stare of everyone who passed along under the churchyard wall. Nevertheless, once under the shadow of the great looming church, among the graves, she felt immune from the world, reserved within the thick churchyard wall as in another country.'"_

Below her black curtain of hair, her lips curved into a small smile. "What a wonderful place to spend your leisure time."

Ren imagined walking through a graveyard in the midst of night. Anything could happen. While she walked in a black Victorian dress with dark grey ruffles, the ground beneath her feet quivered. Decomposing hands broke free from loose dirt, and one by one the dead rose, filling the silence with low moans. She looked to the left, and the supernatural floated over their tombstones. Lost souls had come to join the living once again. Ren felt honored.

"Such paradise." She said with a sigh. "Such a pleasant-"

"What are you doing?"

Ren blinked. That didn't sound like my voice, she thought. She looked up and found two perfectly sculpted, bare chests glowering in front of her face. Ren did not know how to react as she stared with a gawking mouth.

A moment of silence rolled by as the three stared at one another. One of the Hitachiin twins raised an eyebrow. That simple expression yanked her back to reality. Blood squirted out of her nose spontaneously.

The twins laughed, giving each other high fives. Ren told them to stop laughing as she quickly scampered behind the closest tree to hide her embarrassed face.

"What are you two doing here?" _That, and how did you find me?_ She was confident that they wouldn't bother to go looking for her. "I thought you guys couldn't leave the host club during events!" She cried from the other side of the tree.

Kaoru scratched his nose. "We got bored, so we decided to come look for you-"

"-to have some fun." Hikaru crossed his arms in front of his naked chest.

Ren groaned. "I'm not in the mood to deal with two creatures of the light. Be gone!" She shooed them away with a wave of her hand.

"No can do. Didn't Kyouya tell you it's mandatory to attend every Host Club event?" Kaoru crossed his arms, becoming a mirror image of his twin. "Today we're holding the Caribbean Paradise event. You should check it out."

Should, but won't. She allowed half of her face to peek out from behind the tree trunk. "Um, I'm not, so sure about that." The stammering was out of her control due to the beautiful view she had of the twins nicely chiseled, half naked bodies.

A long green Hawaiian skirt hugged their slim hips and thighs, falling down with a slit on the right side of their legs, exposing a rope-like ankle bracelet wrapped tightly around their calves. They didn't seem to be wearing anything else but the skirt. She swallowed, trying to dislodge the sudden lump in her throat.

Hikaru smirked to himself after realizing she was blushing from seeing their exposed chests. He wondered how she would react if she saw more of his skin. The thought was amusing.

"Why not?" Hikaru's mouth twisted into a half smile. He took a step closer, wanting her to erupt with another nosebleed. "After all, you are my client. But I should warn you, hyperventilation is sure to happen once you spend long, quality time with my brother and I."

That wasn't a problem, she was already hyperventilating. Hikaru had come far too close for her liking. She quickly hid behind the trunk again.

"Wait!" She shrieked. Hikaru stopped dead in his tracks. Ren inhaled a shaky breath, and pressed her cheek to the cold tree bark. "The reason why I won't go is because . . . I don't want to be in the same room with you!"

The twins were offended.

"Why?" They snapped.

"You're too bright." She admitted bluntly. "I may melt."

"That's impossible!" Shouted the brothers.

"It's difficult for dazzling creatures to comprehend what the hideous ones have to endure under their bright presence." Ren shook her head. "So I'm not surprised to hear this from you."

The brothers exchanged confused glances with one another. Kaoru shrugged his shoulders, signaling to Hikaru that he had no idea what she meant.

Hikaru jadedly closed his eyes and swung a hand behind his head, shaking his red hair. "_Anyways_," he began slowly. "How about we get started on the project?" He paused, and then muttered incoherently, "The sooner we finish, the better for me."

"The only place you'll be working on your project is inside the host club."

Ren shrieked when she saw Tamaki and the rest of the beautiful host members. They were wearing almost the same Hawaiian skirts as the twins, except with different colors and designs. The light radiating off of their naked chests brought Ren to her knees. Not even the tree was strong enough to block their brightness. She was doomed.

"Re-ni-chan!" Shouted Hani, waving happily at her with a wide smile.

"Oh, no!" She quickly hid her face behind the tree trunk and mumbled to herself, "having the natural ability to shine so brightly should be a crime."

"Why is that tree black and dead-looking?" Hani looked up at Mori while pointing at the tree Ren was behind. "I thought trees are suppose to be green and healthy-looking."

Mori shrugged. "I don't know."

Kaoru looked confused, while his brother glared at Tamaki. "How come only in the host club?" He asked.

Tamaki flashed a smile. "As King, I am fully responsible for every princesses well-being in my glorious palace."

The twins grimaced, clearly bothered by their lord's response. "It's not like we're going to molest her." Hikaru said dryly.

A gasp was heard behind Hikaru and Kaoru. They turned around.

"Y-you're telling me . . . I have to go to the host club, today - every other day - just to work on my project with the dazzling creature?"

Raising a suggestive finger in the air, Tamaki opened his mouth to answer Ren's question when suddenly Hani interrupted him.

"Nope! Today we're not going to be at the host club! We're going to the beach!" He cheered excitedly, running towards her with his arms wide open.

She flinched and quickly scurried to the other side of the tree to avoid Hani's hug attack. Hani smiled happily as he jogged around the tree after her, innocently thinking she was playing a game.

"It's going to be fun! We can eat ice cream all day, play beach volleyball. Oh! And go swimming in our cute swimsuits! You have a cute swimsuit, ne Reni-chan?"

To her discomfort, many pink flowers randomly popped around her short Senpai, and she was more than happy to see he had stopped following her around the tree.

"Huh? Beach?" She was a little lost. "Swimsuit?"

Ren did not make any plans to go to the beach, so why would she own a swimsuit?

Kaoru slowly leered over her right shoulder. "Yeah, the _bright_ beach. Where the _bright_ ocean is."

Ren tensed, not expecting anyone to sneak up behind her.

Then Hikaru leered over her left shoulder. "Where the _bright _creatures go to have fun in the sun. In their_ bright_ swimsuits. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" He blew cool air in her ear. The sudden feeling caused her to jump away from the Hitachiin twins.

"Bright beach!" She exclaimed.

Everything finally sunk in. They are planning on taking her with them to the beach. This meant spending time under a bright, cheerful, sun with equally bright and cheerful people. Not a pleasing combination. The only wonderful place for her was in a dark room, totally secluded from the world. After a long pause, she lunged forward to break into a sprint. "I just remembered I'm allergic to sand!"

The twins snatched each of her arms before she could dash away from them.

"Nice try!" They both held smug grins.

"Now that we have successfully captured our rebels," Tamaki gave a quick glance at Mori who carried an annoyed Haruhi on his shoulder. Smiling contently with himself for coming up with a painstakingly, thought-out plan about getting Haruhi and Ren to go along with them to the beach, Tamaki pointed to a random location. "We can finally venture off to prosperous paradise, gentlemen!"

"Yeah!" Victoriously shouted the host members, shooting one arm in the air.

Haruhi dropped her head and heaved a sigh. "Somehow I feel today is going to be a very troublesome day."

"NONONO! YOU WON'T TAKE ME ALIVE!" Screamed Ren.

* * *

**A/N:** The book Ren obsesses over in this chapter is a classic short story written by D.H Lawrence, "The Horse Dealers Daughter."

Thank you guys for reviewing! Keep it up. I want to know if you like my story or not. It's always motivational to read your responses :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I absolutely love my Strawberry Flavor. It's coming out so well. The picture I used for the book cover was created by ME! Isn't it lovely? I don't mind if you guys create any form of art in tribute to my fanfic. I want to thank TwilightMoon416 and CouplePrincess for their wonderfully mastered videos. I recommend everyone to go watch them. They can be found on my homepage! :D


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Paradise. It was the perfect word to describe the scenery.

Thousands of miles away from civilization, on a small deserted island with its beaches covered in pale white sand, the Ouran Host Club spent their leisure time at the tropical Caribbean, along with their infatuated customers.

The warm sun hovered in the afternoon sky. The wind blew fresh salty air through the coast, tossing and swaying the tropical plants scattered on the green island.

Everyone was enjoying their little vacation away from home. The designators were incredibly thrilled to be at paradise with their princes. However, a certain transfer student was disinclined to join the others. In fact, she made sure of it.

"Come out already!"

"No!"

"You're overreacting, you know that?"

"I'm not _listening_!"

"Damn it, you're impossible!" Hikaru stormed away, grinding his teeth over each other.

Bringing her knees to her chest, Ren stared at the locked door in front of her with a bleak expression. It was quiet outside, with the exception of the roaring ocean and the squawking seagulls.

Alone once again, she assumed. Ren smiled as she observed her dim surroundings. As long as she stayed inside the private plane, and away from Hikaru and his beautiful friends, she was safe.

Suddenly, something ran into the side of the plane. Ren focused on the door, alarmed.

"You're getting out of that stupid plane even if I have to break down the stupid door!" Shouted Hikaru on the other side, and he ran into the door a second time, slightly shaking the aircraft. "Now come out!" He slammed into the door again and again.

"Why are you still here?" She shouted. "Go away!"

"Not until I prove to you that the sun isn't going to make you melt!" Hikaru ran his shoulder into the steal door. "It's all in that twisted head of yours!" He stopped using his shoulder, it was throbbing with undeniable pain, and started kicking the door wildly instead.

"If she doesn't want to come out, we can always create a second door with a chainsaw." Suggested Kaoru while watching Hikaru's impractical attempt to break open the steel entrance. "I think there's one in a shed nearby."

"I have a better idea!" Hikaru looked over his shoulder and grinned impishly. "Lets smoke her out."

"Are you really going to use fire as a final option?" Asked Haruhi, walking up to the two. "Don't you realize you can kill her?"

"You mean she isn't dead already?"

Kaoru elbowed his brother for saying such an immature remark -Hikaru rubbed his arm to soothe the tingling sensation - and asked, "Then what do you suggest we do? She refuses to come out."

"Have you tried being polite to her?" She suggested.

Hikaru made a face. "Why would I do that?"

_Must I always do everything, _Haruhi strode pass the perplexed twins, and stopped before the door. She was surprised to see Hikaru had made a dent. She knocked twice. "Hey, Ren. It's Haruhi. May I ask how long you are planning on staying in there?"

"Until we leave from this place!"

She nodded, understanding her. "Well, that isn't going to happen until three hours from now. Do you really want to stay cooped up in there for that long? Wouldn't you rather come out and at least try to enjoy the beach. Besides, Mori and Hani are cooking lobster for dinner and strawberry short-cake for desert." She closed her eyes to imagine the delectable seafood the two third years cooked the last time they were at the beach. "You should try their lobster. I can assure you it's very delicious."

Haruhi paused for a moment, waiting for a response.

Kaoru tilted his head to one side. "I don't see her coming out."

Haruhi mused with a hand over her mouth. "Hmm, I guess she isn't very fond of lobster then."

"Well that obviously didn't work. Lets try my plan."

"We aren't going to burn down the plane, Hikaru!" Glowered Haruhi. "Not only will you put Ren's life in danger, but you will also destroy the only transportation we have off of this island."

"Don't worry about it." Hikaru said. "I'm sure Kyouya can easily call one of his relatives to send us a second plane."

"That wasn't the point." She grumbled under her breath.

The plane's door slowly creaked opened behind Haruhi, quickly gaining the three host members attention from each other.

A mysterious, dark smog seeped out of the ajar door, trailing closer to the three. Haruhi cautiously took a couple of steps away from the strange smoke while Hikaru and Kaoru grabbed each other for their dear lives, teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Haruhi forced a smile when she got a glimpse of Ren's image behind the thick smog. "Ah, Ren. I'm glad you choose to-EEP!" she chocked on her words when sunlight shined over Ren from inside the dim aircraft.

Shrouded in a black cloak, with a pair of sunglasses and a mouth mask, Ren stepped out from the plane and into the light, breathing irregular.

"Well . . . I do like strawberries." Admitted Ren shyly.

Everyone stared at her, and after a moment of silence, the twins suddenly broke out into a fit of laughter.

Kaoru fell to his knees. "Out of all the bizarre outfits to wear at the beach, _that_ tops everything!" He laughed, hammering the sand with his hand.

Haruhi closed her eyes and sighed. "Indeed, today is going to be a very troublesome day."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

_Those bangs . . . so long and . . . annoying. _

His right brow twitched as he continued to stare at her unkempt bangs hanging in front of her face.

_Isn't she bothered by them?_

Ren turned the page to her General Biology textbook, and, somehow, he grew even more agitated by this simple movement. The way she was dressed was beyond ridiculous; by far the most strangest thing he had ever seen, and the worst part about it . . . he had to sit next to her, where the world could see. He would give anything just to be anywhere, but here with her.

Turning his head to the right, he found Hani, Kaoru and Tamaki squirting each other with water guns by the shoreline with a few of their clients.

They looked happy. They looked like they were having fun. He clenched his teeth together. God! He wished he was having fun, like normal people should be doing at the beach. Not doing a stupid class assignment.

_This sucks. _He ran his right hand over his face.

Ren turned the page again. She was so focused in her work that she was oblivious to a pair of golden eyes glaring at her as she copied important information from her textbook. By seeing this, Hikaru sighed and returned his attention to the notes that Ren lend him. He couldn't understand her chicken-scratch, and thought no one else could either. Now he regretted going to the Kawaii Brunch, but what choice did he have? This was all Tono's fault, he thought. _If it weren't for his stupid events then I wouldn't be in this situation. _

After a moment or two, an aggravated sigh passed through his lips, and he leaned back in his chair. Hikaru crossed his arms over his bare chest. There was no way he was going to read while everyone else was having fun. It was not fair, but most important, not fair for him. They were not the ones stuck studying with a ghost for a lab partner. No. They were the lucky ones. He envied them.

Not moving his head, Hikaru glanced up at Ren across his way. She was still jotting down DNA notes from her book. _Boring._ He tilted his head back, mouth closing with disillusionment as he balanced a chewed up pencil on his nose. Suddenly, an idea abruptly crossed his mind. A not-so boring idea. The corners of his mouth curved into a sly grin.

If he was going to be stuck with a strange bookworm instead of enjoying the beach with his friends, then she had to entertain him one way or the other. And he knew exactly how.

"You know what I just realized?"

Ren looked up from her textbook. The way he said those last words made her wary. His voice was too suspicious to go unnoticed.

Hikaru could not hide the smirk playing on the corners of his lips anymore as he continued, "Yesterday, you took one look at my face and screamed, I think its only fair for me to see yours."

Dropping the pencil in her hand, she quickly pressed her back against the back supporter of her chair. "W-w-what do you mean?"

"I m-m-_mean,_" he mocked. "You should chop off those bangs so I can see that face of yours. Lets see how ugly you say you truly are."

"Anything but that!"

Hikaru threw himself across the table but was not fast enough to catch Ren. She jumped from her chair, and sprinted across the field of white sand. He grinned, pushing himself off from the table, and chased after her with rapid speed.

So his plan was not as effective as he first thought it would be. However, now he had something exciting to do. Better this than being bored, he considered.

Pumping his ultra water gun anxiously, he kept his eyes on Tamaki-who was also trying to increase the pressure in his super hydro water gun. Kaoru grinned.

One of them was going to get smacked with a strong force of water.

"You're going down!" Tamaki began to pump his water gun faster then the Hitachiin twin. "There's no way I'm going to let you spend the rest of the afternoon with Haruhi. She's safer with her father!"

"You won't have to worry! After our long walk on the beach, Haruhi will be saying, Tamaki who?" Laughed Kaoru.

Tamaki immediately aimed his water gun at him. "You'll regret thinking about that!"

"Duck, Tono!"

"Duck?" Tamaki looked lost.

He did not have the chance to turn round and see who had shouted when something soft and solid suddenly bumped into him. With a short yelp, Tamaki was instantly pushed aside by an unknown force. The force was amazingly strong to make him fly twenty feet in the air and over Kaoru's head; who watched with his mouth slightly open in awe.

"Dammit! Where'd she go?" Grumbled Hikaru as he looked in all directions, oblivious to the pairs of curious eyes glued to him.

"What are you up to this time, Hikaru?" Asked his identical twin with hands on his hips.

He turned around and smirked arrogantly. "I'm gonna unmask Creepy-chan."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

The slightest of sighs passed through her lips and she allowed her exhausted body to fall backwards. A small wave of sand dusted the air when she hit the ground.

"Guess I . . . lost . . . him." Heavily breathed Ren, trying to catch her breath after running away from the dazzling creature.

In her mind, she still believed someone as dark as she does not belong in such a wealthy institution with its bright peers and staff inside. It was almost like a law, and if there was not one already ratified, then Ren thought there should be, and arrest any individual who forced a dark student to attend a bright school. It made perfect sense. Yeah. That would make her aunt think twice.

Until that day comes, Ren decided to accept her fate and pray she will make it through high school without melting into a puddle of muck or bleed to death from the constant nosebleeds.

She laid there on the soft and warm sand with a blank expression. Bringing her wrist to her face, she glanced at her watch. "Just two more hours . . ." Reminiscing, she carelessly dropped her arm on the sand. "I'll just lay here and wait until then." She whispered in a flat voice.

She felt something rough by her hand. It didn't take a genius to realize it was a palm tree she had touched. Ren considered herself lucky, for the moment, to have found a overly shady place to hide. The tropical foliage casted dark shade around her form, hindering the evening sun to pass through. She had nothing else better to do, so she took interest in the irregular trunk by her side. Her eyes trailed up the long, thin pine trunk.

Then she saw it.

The clouds soared peacefully in the sky. It almost seemed surreal. As foolish as it may sound, Ren sometimes envied the innocent clouds. She could not help the feeling.

Was it not only natural to feel jealous for something at least once in you're life span? However, was it natural to be jealous of something that was not even human . . . or a solid object, for that matter? She wondered sometimes.

There they glided, far away from the people on earth, and perfectly free, letting the wind guide them wherever they please; something that has always been her ideal dream . . . something that will always remain a dream.

"Lucky clouds." Ghe grumbled like other times before. "You're flying merrily, while I'm walking miserably."

Something poked her side when she shifted her body to the left. Reaching under her cloak, she pulled out a novel and her eyes lit up behind her bangs.

"I almost forgot about this!" Without sitting up, she opened the book to her favorite part of the story.

_"'Did you dive into the pond for me?' she asked._

_'No,' he answered. 'I walked in. But I went in overhead as well.'_

_There was silence for a moment. He hesitated. He very much wanted to go upstairs to get into dry clothing. But there was another desire in him. And she seemed to hold him. His will seemed to have gone to sleep, and left him, standing there slack before her. But he felt warm inside himself. He did not shudder at all, though his clothes were sodden on him._

_'Why did you?' she asked._

_'Because I didn't want you to do such a foolish thing,' he said._"

She slowly brought the hard covers together, and let the small book rest on her chest.

She silently mused over what will happen to the two characters: Marbel, the horse-dealers daughter, and Jack Ferguson, a young doctor. Jack made himself believe that he likes Marbel, and without even realizing it. He pitied her life, and how her brothers treated her; as if she was a nobody. He wanted to see her happy, because maybe he thought she deserved to be happy. But why did he put himself in that position? Did he feel responsible because he was her doctor?

"Helping you feel better is what the doctor knows best," She whispered aloud.

"Found you!"

The sudden appearance of one of the Hitachiin brother's perfect face above her head surprised Ren. She abruptly leaned forward to get away from him, but ended up bumping foreheads.

They both hissed in pain, grabbing their heads.

He hunched his back, applying pressure on the center of his forehead to alleviate the throbbing pain. Opening one eye, he glared over at Ren on the ground as she equally rubbed her own forehead.

"Dammit! What's wrong with you? Is this anyway to greet someone?" He said through clenched teeth. A wave of pain crossed his head and he squeezed his forehead harder. "Owie-Owie-Owie!" He whined.

From the attitude she was receiving from the Hitachiin, she knew it was Hikaru Hitachiin who she bumped into.

"It was an accident!" She assured bitterly, scurrying to her feet and broke into a sprint.

Hikaru was about to run after her until he stepped on something hard. It did not feel like an ordinary rock so he glanced down.

"The Horse-Dealers Daughter?"

Ren dug her tennis-shoes in the sand.

"Please be here. Please be here." She anxiously searched for the book on herself. When she did not find it in her cloak, her head snapped up with a worried expression etched on her face. She must have dropped it when she got up. Ren slowly looked over at Hikaru to discover her novel in his hands as he silently read a paragraph on a page.

"EEK! Give that back to me!" Shrieked Ren in horror, running recklessly towards Hikaru in order to snatch her book from him.

"What are you mumbling about?" He shot his leg out, stopping her from getting any closer to him by forcing his foot against her face. However, she continued to reach out in attempt to get her book back.

"Stop! You're going to tear it!" She demanded while trying to shove Hikaru's sandy foot away from her mouth. He forcefully pushed her down, and she reluctantly sat.

"Chill out!" Sneered Hikaru while flipping through the picture-less pages. He stopped on a random page and sluggishly read out loud, "'_. . .and he fell to kissing her, not knowing what he was doing. He wanted her eyes not to have that terrible, wistful, unfathomable look.'_" Hikaru paused for a second. "Boring!" He announced and carelessly tossed the novel behind his shoulder.

Ren cried in horror, like she had just seen someone getting shot in the head, and jumped in the air to catch her precious book. Just when she almost had the book in her hands, she lost her balance on the uneven ground and fell down, eating a mouth full of sand.

"All that drama just for a stupid book?" Hikaru had his hands on his lean hips while walking to the clump of black laying, that was Ren, on the sand.

Ren coughed out powder of salty grains from her mouth and slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder. Hikaru was towering over her form with an imperious smile. She did not even get the chance to move when a heavy weight pushed her chest back down on the sand. She blushed intently when she felt him straddle her hips.

"Get off of me!" She squeaked, wiggling in attempt to squeeze out from underneath his body. "This is the forbidden position!"

He rolled his eyes. "There's nothing forbidden about a man being on top of a ghost?" He tilted his head to one side with a smug look on his face. "It's not like you're a girl." Ren flushed. "Now, lets see what you really look like under there." He reached for the hood covering her head.

The whole host club approached the two first years in the forest. Tamaki's face turned bright red when he saw Hikaru on top of Ren.

Kyouya looked down at the sand in front of his feet. He squatted and picked up a novel. After reading the title of the book, he smirked.

"What's going on here?" Asked Tamaki and he turned his head to the other Hitachiin twin by his side, knowing very well Kaoru would know what his brother was doing.

"Hikaru is going to expose Ren." He said with a wide grin as he watched Ren struggle underneath his brother's weight. "This is pretty intense."

"No, please don't do it."

"But I want to do it."

Tamaki gulped nervously. "And a little perverted, yet I can't seem to look away."

"Indeed," Kyouya slid the small novel in his back pocket before anyone could see.

"Huh? What do you guys mean?" Innocently inquired Hani looking from Kaoru to Tamaki to Kyouya.

Ignoring Hani's question, Kyouya continued. "However, getting a glimpse of how Miss Ichihara looks behind her hair is slightly drawing me to the edge of curiosity."

The two nodded their heads, agreeing with him.

"Heeeeey, I wanna know whats so perverted about-OH LOOK CAKE!"

Mori cut the shouting third year off by waving a slice of triple-layer chocolate cake in front of his face, which Hani excitedly attacked in seconds. He swallowed chucks whole like he was diagnosed with a life threatening disease and the cake was the antidote.

Ren tensed, grabbing a hand-full of warm sand in her clammy hands. She let out a sudden whimper when she felt her hood get pulled back from her head. A fresh, ocean breeze blew her black tresses behind her flushed face and they swayed slowly in the air. She could not move or speak when she felt him hovering over her head now. Helplessly, she waited beneath the beautiful creature as he placed his hand under her bangs. His simple touch sent a thrill down her back and winced.

"Please . . . don't." She pleaded softly once more in hopes of changing his mind, but he didn't hear her.

_This is it, _thought Hikaru and quickly tied her bangs with a small rubber-band before she protest by struggling wildly. He leaped off of her.

Slowly opening her dark, onyx eyes to the bright world for the first time since four years ago, Ren peered up at the group of seven boys standing dumbfounded in front of her with hanging jaws.

Without the curtain of hair covering her eyes, she was now able to get a clear view of the beautiful faces of the Host Club. Her jaw slightly fell.

_So this is how they really look . . . _Her eyes stopped at Hikaru, and her breath got caught in her throat.

There was a long awkward pause and then everyone screamed in horror, throwing their hands in the air. Ren scurried deeper inside the tropical forest with a massive nosebleed while the host members dealt with the disturbing image of her face in their minds.

"Scaaaaryyyy!" Cried Hani.

"D-Did you see that?" Stuttered Kaoru with a shaky voice. "H-H-Her face was covered in pimples."

"A-A-And her brows were connected." Stuttered Tamaki, and slowly looked over at Kyouya with a frightened look on his pale face. "Is this, healthy for a girl to have?"

Kyouya did not reply. He simply pushed his glasses up the narrow of his nose while a glare reflected off of the lens.

"Ha! Some show." Laughed Hikaru. "She's just another normal girl, and here I thought she had a third eye or something alien-ish."

Everyone looked at him strangely as he continued to laugh by himself. Out of all the dumbfounded faces, Tamaki was the first to change his expression. He smiled gleaming.

"Ah, exactly what I was just about to say myself."

Might as well stamp BIG FAT LAIR on his forehead.

He continued dramatically. "Her conditions aren't something that has not already been seen once or twice before. In fact, it can easily be dealt with. Which is where we come in." His soft facial expression suddenly transformed to a more serious form. "Behold! The plan of all plans!" He paused to make sure all eyes were on him before going any further. "Prepare for long and painful days my fellow club members, because we are going to dedicate our precious time, our effort and our skills to change Ren into a beautiful princess by the end of this month!" He exclaimed passionately with one arm extended out into the sky.

Beautiful fireworks blew up in the background as Tamaki maintained his victorious pose. Hani, Kaoru and Hikaru clapped with admiration.

Kyouya had already pulled out his planner with a pen in his left hand. "And why do you suggest we should, exactly?" He asked smoothly.

"Simple." Tamaki ran his thin fingers through his blond hair. "Through my eyes, every girl is a beautiful princess no matter the shape or size; yet here I see day after day girl's trying to look prettier than others even when they're already pretty themselves."

He paused in the middle of his sentence and sadly turned his head in the direction where Ren disappeared in the tropical shrubs. His eyes held a distance look as he spoke.

"Which is why I'm compelled to help our unfortunate, dark student. Unlike girls who compare themselves with others, she is considered the worst. Instead of trying, she'd rather hide from the world each day by putting on a mask of self-consciousness just to make her feel safer and less important."

"She shouldn't be hiding behind that mask anymore over something so silly as not being pretty. This is why we have to help her overcome this stage in her life so she can see others do care about her."

"I see," said Kyouya as he continued to write in his planner. "But, what if some of us are still undecided whether they do or don't care about her?" Turning his head to the right, his eyes settled on Hikaru before a sudden glare blocked his eyes. "Isn't that right, doctor?"

Hikaru gave him a weird look. "What?"

"I said, isn't that right, Hikaru." Kyouya smiled gently.

Hikaru glared disbelievingly at his vice-president. "I guess,"

"Then they have no other choice but to deal with it." Answered Tamaki. "I truly feel this is the only way we can change her view about handsome people permanently. That way, she can finally live her life healthy and proudly."

"Wow Senpai that was actually touching." Haruhi smiled warmly. "I never knew you held such compassion for Ren."

"Ah, but of course, Haruhi! Any princess secretly screaming for help can always depend on me to save them." He closed his eyes with a faint blush on his pale cheeks after hearing Haruhi commenting on his speech. He decided to go further in depth to please her even more. "Whether near or far, I will find a way. Swim the seven seas or fly over the clouds. Anything . . . for their sake." He finished with a graceful twirl.

"Er . . . speaking of flying, isn't that our plane launching off the ground?" Kaoru pointed at something in the sky.

Everyone looked up in the direction he was pointing at. After watching the Ootori private plane gliding smoothly in the evening sky for a good moment, everyone started to panic.

"THAT IS OUR PLANE!" Shouted Tamaki, and he helplessly fell to his knees. "WHY IS IT FLYING AWAY? COME BACK, PLANE! COOOOME BAAAAACK!"

"I don't think thats going to bring anything back." Sneered Kyouya as he pulled out his cell phone.

"How are we going to get off of this Island?" Hani shouted with a chocolate icing mustache.

While most of everyone broke into a fit of apprehensive fear, Hikaru, on the other hand, simply stared at the plane gliding further away by the second in the pink and purple sky.

A small grin crept to his lips. "Stupid girl." He scoffed, and shook his head.

Inside the plane's two-seater cockpit, Ren giggled uncontrollably as she gazed down at the small island below. "Kekeke! Goodbye dazzling creatures." Her hands clenched the steering wheel, and she navigated the plane towards the sunset over the horizon. "Freedom! FREEDOM!"


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

With November came fall, as well as the cold. The arctic winds bluster in from the north, so strong the windows of Manaka's manor trembled. Inside, Ren tried to ignore the cluttering sound by getting prepared for her morning chores. It was finally Saturday, time for another two-day vacation away from Ouran Academy. She loved the weekends, especially on these days. For several weeks straight, Ren has been avoiding the Host Club ever since that horrible trip to the Caribbean. Saturday and Sunday were the only days she can wake up comfortably without stressing over which corridors to take that won't lead her to a bright creature. Everything seemed to be going pleasantly for the moment. She prayed it would last for the whole year, at least.

She stood on top of a massive staircase with her usual bored expression. The strange part about her, besides the long, plaid skirt she wore with an extra large t-shirt and the ghostly feeling that seem to follow her every wake, was what she was carrying. In her left hand she held a mop with a price tag still intact, while in the other hand she carried a blue, plastic bucket where cleaning supplies, such as new rags, furniture polish and unknown house chemicals, were cluttered inside.

Her lips pressed together into a thin line of determination while she concentrated hard on something on the first floor down below. "No sound means nobody's home." She giggled darkly. "Perfect."

A rebel was something Ren never thought to become one day in her life. However, with the type of guardian she was living under, she just assumed it was sure to happen soon. Impulsiveness was surprisingly, and yet terribly easy to pick up. Though her aunt prohibits her from cleaning the manor today, Ren did the complete opposite. About three reasons helped her in this decision.

First, the rooms needed a lot of attention—all forty-six of them. Ren had become restless after constantly reminding her forgetful aunt every day, on every hour, to call the housemaids to come over and clean up the place. It upset her to see the job had never been done.

Second, Ren concluded she had absolutely nothing else better to do to keep herself busy for two days. Surprisingly no homework was assigned to her—not even a page to read. She definitely wasn't looking forward to lying around the house and staring at a wall all day. Boredom. Now that was scary.

Third, and main reason why Ren rejected her aunt's idea, was the far fetch theory she had about Ren cleaning things. Her aunt believes, since she is accident prone, she would more than likely end up with a broken leg, that or setting the house on fire. Either way something was bound to go wrong.

She was humiliated, so much that it drove her over the edge and back again. Ren was dead set on proving her aunt wrong. Even though she was dubbed as "The Klutz" in the family tree, that didn't necessarily mean she couldn't handle a mop and some soap. With lips pursed, and chin in the air, Ren placed one foot in front of her as she carefully stepped down the stairs.

"I'll prove you wrong, Mana-san. You'll see."

Across the wide green acre stood a manor, graceful and more than thirty years old. It was painted a soft white, three stories tall and well-built. Outside the timeless manor was a black limousine. The European vehicle curved into the horse-shoe-like drive in, and made a complete stop at the front entrance. A man, somewhere in his mid-fourties, quietly stepped out of the driver's side. Ignoring the need to fold his arms across his chest for warmth, he quickly paced over to the end of the vehicle. With a gloved hand, he pulled a door wide open. Pure sheets of glamour spilled out of the back seat while the beautiful passengers stepped out into the chilly day. The tall, blond adjusted his six-hundred dollar sunglasses upon the bridge of his nose as he stared up at the graceful house. One side of his mouth curved up into a satisfied half-smirk.

"Let's go." He demanded coolly, leading everyone up the flight of steps to the front doors.

"Scrub, scrub, scrub, scrub."

On all hands and knees, Ren struggled to clean a month old coffee stain from the lobby floor left by her aunt. She stopped scrubbing, and slid her arm across her forehead. Part of her felt like giving up, it was very strong, but Ren knocked the idea over as fast as it came. Lifting the bucket, she poured the rest of the water suds over the visible black spot. To her disappointment, it didn't dissolve like she had hoped. Ren exhaled heavily, and sat upright. Another thought crossed her mind. Will hiding the coffee container from her aunt—until she learned how to drink correctly—prevent future stains from happening? She thought about it for a little longer.

"Guess I can try." She decided, and stood up. "Where does Mana-san leave her coffee again?"

As she pondered whether the container was in the cabinets on the right side of the kitchen or the ones on the left side, the doorbell rang. Ren looked up, startled. She glanced over her shoulder and stared down the long room toward the front doors with blank confusion. It rang again.

"Guests?" She assumed.

It was strange. There wasn't a trace of memory in her to remember if her aunt had told her about someone visiting today. Ren pressed her lips to one side. _Then again . . ._ She trailed off in thought. _Though I'd hate to admit it, but half of the things I don't remember actually did happen at some point._ In order to find out if she did forget, Ren turned around, awkwardly, and went to the front entrance. The door bell rang once more.

"I wonder who it could be." She said aloud, trying to picture a face behind the two doors on the other side of the large room.

On the other hand, the possibility of the person being her aunt was very likely too. Ren could see it now. Her dear aunt, wearing one of her flamboyant summer dresses—though it was nowhere near summer—could be standing with a sheepish look on her face as she waited like an idiot who had forgotten their house keys. Ren sighed when she made a final conclusion that will help sum up her aunt entirely,

_There's no doubt that Mana-san will and forever be an impulsive fool._

Placing a hand on the cold metal, Ren slowly twisted the handle to the right and opened one of the two doors.

"Yo, Creepy-Chan!"

Her stomach flipped twice, her mouth spread wide open, and -

"KYAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The door was slammed in front of his smiling face.

"Well," Kaoru had his eyes closed, sounding bored, "that was rude."

"Idiot! You almost hit my face!" Shouted Hikaru, banging on the now locked doors.

Behind the twins, Haruhi was shaking her head in disagreement. "Actually, I don't blame her. We have no right to be here without a proper invitation."

"Don't be ridiculous, Haruhi." Kyouya raised his chin in the air, and sniffed. "Friends don't need an invitation."

Still looking bored, Kaoru turned his head to the club president. "Now what, Tono?" He asked blandly.

Mori took a step forward, taking Tamaki's side who was examining everything from the back of the group. Tamaki was smirking with obvious interest while messaging his pointy chin as if he was scheming up a plan.

"No worries." He assured, and smiled pleasantly. "I had a feeling this was going to happen, so I asked for some assistance."

Haruhi, Kaoru, and Hikaru exchanged glances.

Twisting around, she pressed her back flat against the door and began to hyperventilate. She couldn't believe it. It was like her nightmare came true, except this time, it was far worst than a nightmare, it was actually happening.

"What-" Ren cut herself off. She was out of breath as if she had just finished running a mile rely. Taking mouthfuls of oxygen, she tried a second time. "What . . . are they . . . _doing here_?" She forced out those last two words.

There was no apparent reason for them to be at her aunt's house. No homework assignments. No school events. No nothing. Yet there they stood on her porch like they had every right to be there. Ren groaned wryly.

It all happened very quickly then.

She compared it to getting hit in the head with a ball during gym class sessions in middle school. Your bones jolt inside your skin at the sudden feeling of pain. The rush of fear intoxicates your five senses, and you freeze, shocked with eyes wide open. That was exactly how Ren felt when she was sent soaring across the lobby with the front doors following quickly behind her. In a matter of seconds, she slammed face first against a wall on the opposite side of the room. Not giving her the chance to breath, the doors crashed into her back, further squishing her on the wall. Ren wouldn't be surprised if the floral designs on the wallpaper got imprinted on her cheek.

Kaoru whistled, amazed. "That has got to hurt." She must have been pushed forty to fifty feet from where they stood.

Hikaru snickered behind his brother. He wouldn't want to be in her shoes right now. "I'll be surprised if she's able to stand up after that."

"Impressive." Commented Kyouya, walking inside the house through the gap, seemingly apathetic about Ren's physical state. "Seems you both have improved immensely in these past few months in strength."

Standing with legs a part and a fist extended forward, Hani and Mori slowly got out of their fighting stance. Then Hani covered his mouth, suddenly looking worried.

"Are you okay, Re'ni-chan?" He asked, tears forming in the corners of his huge, brown eyes. He only wanted to open the doors. It never crossed his mind that she would be in the way.

The wooden doors fell from Ren's back, bouncing once and then laying flat on the floor. Due to gravity, she peeled off the wall, and fell back on the doors. There was no doubt she was feeling a lot of pain.

Mori placed a comforting hand on his cousin's shoulder. "She is fine." He knew he was lying, however, if it took lying to erase the guilt on Hani's face, then it was worth saying every lie in the book.

Hani looked up at Mori, and smiled. "That's good to know, Takashi. I didn't want to hurt Re'ni-chan."

"Did you like our grand entrance?" Like a king entering his courtroom, Tamaki waltzed his way in the room. "Though I think some dramatic music would have made it even better." He chuckled lightly.

"Senpai!" Came Haruhi's voice from behind him. Tamaki twisted his body a little to see her, wondering why her tone sounded upset. She had her hands on her hips and her brows pulled together. "There was no need to break down the doors. In fact, there's no need to be here at all. We're invading private property."

His smile only spread further across his flushed face. Haruhi always looked so cute when she was angry.

"Poor Haruhi, haven't you ever heard of a surprise?" With the tip of his middle finger, Tamaki touched the center of his forehead. "But, I suppose it isn't you're fault. Commoners don't usually get the luxury of a good surprise since most of their money goes to bills and food coupons. It's a shame."

"Coupon's are free of charge."

Tamaki missed Haruhi's cold glare.

"In any case," He quickly changed the subject. "Where most people hate surprises with a passion, others embrace it. And what better way to be surprised than seeing extremely attractive young men at your front door so early in the morning? Like I always say: Having a balance serving of the Host Club is a healthy way to start the day."

The confusion was clear on Haruhi's face. _Why do I even bother with him?_ Her left brow twitched.

Kaoru wrinkled his nose. "You make it sound like we're breakfast." At that moment, he had a brief visual of a cereal chimerical. Two children sat around a table where a single box of cereal sat. On the front of the bright, yellow cardboard box were Tamaki, Haruhi, Kyouya, Mori, Hani, Hikaru and himself in chibi form. The giggling children reached out and poured their healthy balance of sexiness in their bowls. Kaoru blinked and shook his head. He would never look at cereal the same way ever again.

"Huh. How upsetting. Then allow me to clear that misconception for you, Kaoru." Tamaki gladly began, clarifying the situation to his host members who were all not listening to him. However, the only one who made it very obvious was Hikaru. He had Tamaki on mute since nothing that came out of his mouth sounded anywhere near interesting to him, thus explaining why he had his head turned away with eyes wandering the room.

"By now, each of you should already be aware on how school can sometimes be stressful. And you should already know stress can lead women to depression and mixed emotions. That's why we, the magnificent Host Club, spends time with our lovely ladies of Ouran Academy to help them overcome-"

_Blah. Blah. Blah._ Thought Hikaru, rolling his eyes.

He sighed heavily so that Kaoru would hear him. He didn't. Scowling, Hikaru searched for his lab partner instead. He found her in the same location and already sitting up. If he were to approach her right now with a helping hand, he knew she would either smack it away or say _it's too bright_. A smile played on his lips. It was tempting to go over and try out his guess, get some laughs and probably a splatter of blood from her nose. With hands deep inside his pockets, Hikaru continued to stare at her, hoping she would look his way and freak out.

The back of her neck was very sore from the blow so she began to gently message the raw skin. _How in the world could those two have so much strength? Especially Hani-senpai - he's so tiny._ Ren titled her head up - enough to see their shiny footwear - and saw the pieces that got blown off from the doorframe were now on the floor near the entrance while more portions laid outside on the porch. The size of the mess made her want to bang her head on the floor. Somehow they always seem to make matters worse for her.

In desperate need to straighten her neck, Ren carefully titled her head up. Something popped in place and the pain suddenly vanished. She was relieved. It was then she saw a full view of their bodies. Standing tall and glorious was the Host Club. They looked like Greek Gods. The sun blazing behind their perfect bodies was like a Christmas tree light compared to their intense glow.

_It's bright! . . . It's too bright!_ Ren blocked the rays of beauty with one of her arms. Sweat beaded her face. _Day after day I have to live under this light, increasing my chances of melting. What have I done to be suffering like this? . . . And why is it getting hotter suddenly?_ Glancing though her thick bangs, she spotted one of the Hitachiin brothers staring at her. The instant Ren recognized his uneven smirk she was drowning in anxiety. _That dazzling creature is full of surprises. It'll be a matter of time until he comes up with a way to see my hideous face._ Ren paused and then seemed to remember something. Behind the hair, her onyx eyes widen when frightening realization dawned on her.

"I'm so stupid!" She cried, putting her hands over her mouth to muffle her scream. The beach came rushing back to her. She nibbled on her bottom lip absentminded when an image of the Host Clubs disturbed expressions from that day suddenly appeared in her mind. _They were practically turning green with disgust,_ she noted, biting harder on her now bloody lip. One of them looked lightheaded, like he was on the verge of fainting. She could just picture how her face looked-scaly, unsymmetrical and pimples, pimples, pimples. "Ara?" _Actually . . . come to think of it . . . I forgot how I look . . ._

This was bad.

The Ouran Host Club, an organization made up of only beautiful creatures, saw her face even before she knew how bad she looked. It was unacceptable. Now she felt nauseous. "How can I be so stupid?" With the heel of her palm, Ren banged her forehead once for each word that passed though her lips. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She sighed, hands still pressed up against her head. _Did I willingly let them see me?_ Her arms dropped and she thought for a moment.

**"Now, lets see what you really look like under there." He reached for the hood covering her head. **

Ren gasped. She remembered now. It was Hikaru who started everything. He had her pinned to the ground to keep her from running away. He was also the one who pulled her bangs out of her eyes. That selfish _jerk._ Anger quickly bubbled inside of her - queasiness and pitying herself have all now been burned away and turned to ash in the high flames of rage. She hated him. She hated him for seeing her face. She hated him for the massive nosebleeds. She hated him for being perfect, and blunt, and sarcastic and, and -

Ren rubbed her temples in a circular motion. The list just went on and on. There would be no end to it. _He's sucking all of my youth. My sanity. Leaving me weak at his feet. There's only one way to deal with this sort of evil._ The corners of her mouth curved up into a sly grin. "I must kill him."

After having her fill of chuckling, Ren didn't hear Tamaki's voice anymore. Lifting her head, she discovered he had stopped talking and was staring oddly at her - a mix between confusion and fear. In fact, everyone had their eyes on her, giving her the same expression as Tamaki. This made her nervous.

"Kill who?" Calmly inquired Kyouya.

_WHAAAAAT?!_ Ren was shocked. _Did I say that out loud?_ Thinking quickly, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "Coffee stain!" Seeing his left brow arch questionably, Ren further explained herself. "I . . . was having trouble clearing it from the floor." She paused, and pointed lamely at a dark spot on the floor "It's right there."

"Indeed." Disbelief colored his tone as he looked away from the stain and back at Ren again. "We apologize for the doors." Kyouya brought up, changing the subject. "Afraid we had no other choice."

Ren didn't make any sign of acknowledgment to Kyouya's halfhearted apology. She was too lost in her head. _Must kill the dazzling creature. Must kill the dazzling creature,_ she chanted, _I will not rest until I end his beautiful life._

The scene will be promising. In a room, with little light, she envisions herself creeping up from behind Hikaru as he stood alone with his back facing her. Such a naive creature - she would think - so unaware about what will soon befall on his pathetic life. Holding a butcher knife high above her head, she laughed before bringing her hands down and stabbing him in the back, cutting through white flesh and soft tissue. Warm blood will dance around her like water from a sprinkler, soaking her school uniform as she stood over his lifeless corpse, laughing hysterically.

Ren titled her chin up with a twisted smile. "I can't wait. Kukuku!"

"Can't wait for what, Re'ni-chan?" Innocently asked Hani.

_EEP!_

"To kill the stain!" She inwardly kicked herself for thinking out loud again. _If this keeps up their going to know my true intentions before I have a chance to put it into action. They need to go. The dazzling creature's death will have to wait . . . but not too long._ She wasn't about to throw her dreams - graduating and getting into a good college - out the window for being a brash murderer. Ren sighed. Sometimes life was cruel to her and this was one of those times.

"You naughty, naughty girl," Ren was pulled back into reality when she heard Tamaki's teasing. He shook his finger at her. "Leaving us on that island without any transportation to get back home. It was a mean deed. Quite rude, actually. But luckily for us Kyouya packed his cell. Now what do you have to say for yourself, hmm?" He waited for her response.

She slowly got to her feet.

"GET OUT!"

Ren charged at Tamaki at full speed, arms stretched out in front of her, ready to shove him and the rest of the bright creatures out of the open entrance. If she shoved him hard enough he would crash backwards into the twins, who would then knock into Haruhi, Kyouya, Mori, and then finally Hani. The perfect domino effect.

About ten feet away, the twins took a step in front of their president. They were blocking Tamaki. Ren was not expecting this so she skid to a complete stop, almost running into them. She wished she never got up from the floor in the first place, because it was plain on their faces - the hurt expressions and pouting lips - that they were up to no good.

"Ren?" They looked up at her through thick lashes. "Do you really want us to leave _that _bad?"

With the combination of their light, it was too bright to keep her eyes on them. Ren's gawking mouth closed and she quickly turned around. "Yes!" She spat.

"What about me?" She turned and found Hikaru leaning towards her, his pale, gorgeous face just inches from hers. Ren's heart stopped beating. They were so close. "How can you tell me to go when I find trouble blocking you from my thoughts?" His fresh breath blew in her face, stunning her. She blinked, throughly dazed. There was a long pause and then Ren covered her nose before blood squirted out.

Hikaru threw his head back and laughed out loud.

"Such a devious creature." Mumbled Ren, blood leaking through the gaps between her fingers.

"Keh! Serves you right for slamming the door on me!" He smiled victoriously, showing her all of his teeth.

"Gah!" Ren looked away. _He's too bright! But before I melt away in this light, I must . . ._ "KILL HIM!"

The exact image of Hikaru's dead corpse appeared in her mind again. He was lying on the floor, motionless. Dried blood stained his pale lips and chin. She smiled. _My youth will finally be restored after his soul leaves his body. _The clothes he wore in the daydream suddenly vanished, leaving him naked and more than beautiful. Ren collapsed to her hands and knees when a large amount of blood exploded out of her nose, staining the floor in a large puddle.

"Another nosebleed?" Hikaru was truly shocked.

Kaoru's forehead creased. "Wow, she's still alive."

Lifting her bloody face from the floor, she asked, "Why are you all here?" Her nose was plugged up with blood clods which made her sound more like, _"Wah or yah ah heyeah?" _

"Glad you asked." Tamaki was already leaning against one of the Roman pillars stationed near the door-less entrance. He crossed his arms over his chest, and glanced at her with a charming smile. "The reason why we're here is because we want to help treat your condition."

"Condition?" Repeated Ren with a blank expression.

"You're face." He said promptly. From the shocked look Tamaki was receiving from her, he was one-hundred percent sure she knew what he was talking about this time, so he continued. "That's right." He lifted his hand, and held up one finger. "Since we fully understand how sensitive you are when it comes to your looks, let me first say we can assure you will not regret the offer. Now, would you like to know our plans to make this process successful?"

Though no one could see, Ren narrowed her eyes. "No."

"How cruel! You didn't even think about it!" Gasped Tamaki, mouth wide open in a false display of shock. It didn't take long for him to return to his calm and playful character by smiling with a hand cupped around his chin. "No matter. We're still going to tell you anyway." He paused. "Kyouya."

Kyouya suppressed a sigh after hearing his cue to continue Tamaki's sentence. "During the treatment process, many things about you are going to change, such as your hair style, your face, your fashion taste, and even your personality-"

"What's wrong with those things?" Interrupted Ren, offended and irritated.

"Oh, c'mon!" The sound of the Hitachiin's echoing voices drew her away from the vice-president. They each had their brows pulled together while looking disbelieving. "You're distant, dark and very creepy. You're hair has out grown it's natural length so much that you're split ends have split ends."

"And look at that disgusting thing!" Hikaru pointed at something on her person. She curiously looked down and found herself staring at the plaid skirt she was wearing. "Our grandma wears that. Do you know how old she is?"

Ren's mouth opened, but she said nothing. Instead, she pressed her lips together. What was so important about what she wore anyway? The clothes she puts on each day are easy to move in and are very comfortable. It's what makes her happy. That should be worth wearing.

The twins grinned, satisfied that they made Ren swallow her own words. Hearing nothing coming from either Ren or the twins, Kyouya continued where he left off.

"As I was saying. The process also includes basic etiquette training. It's important for you to learn how to be around others and carry a conversation without embarrassing yourself. Eventually, all of this will come naturally for you and once that happens, you'll know you have reached in becoming an elegant lady." He crossed his arms over his chest when he finished.

"Elegant . . . lady?" She was confused.

"Is it not wonderful, Ren? Tell me it is." Tamaki twirled in place with hands over his heart. "Because I see it's time to let out the beauty hidden within you. Say goodbye to Creepy-chan and say hello to Ren Ichihara. Hail to beauty, you'll say!" He stopped spinning and eagerly turned to her, stars sparkling in his azure eyes. She leaned back, throughly freaked out. "So what do you think? Have I out done myself? Have I? Tell me I have. It's perfectly more than fine."

Tamaki's happiness hit her full force, flooding her mouth with bile. She swallowed the acid back down, leaving her throat itchy and sore. Her blood was draining from her face. The room was spinning. Ren shivered, but she wasn't cold. Her stomach could never digest happiness, especially under this much intensity.

"Don't tell me she's going to have another nosebleed." Said the twins.

Tamaki smirked and closed his eyes. "What can I say? I'm a very tempting man."

"To baboons." Kaoru whispered only for his brother's ears, but his president heard him.

He was glaring. "You're just jealous."

_Can't stand it_, Ren sucked her lower lip into her mouth, putting it in between her tongue and teeth. She bit down on it while thinking of a plan. _I need to say something to get them out of here. I don't know how much longer I can withstand their presence._ She released her lip, leaving it a hue of purple.

"I think its a," She paused when she saw Tamaki's smile widen a little more. "A-A waste of time."

"GAACK!" All natural color drained from Tamaki's face. He slumped to his knees, head titled up while staring dully at the ceiling.

The twin's laughed.

"She's so blunt." Laughed Kaoru. He grabbed his brother's shoulder, getting his attention, and thumbed at Tamaki. "And look what she did to tono. Did you see his face?"

Hikaru flashed him a smile. "Yeah! He looked like a fish gasping for air." He made a face and let his jaw hang, with eyes wide open. Kaoru laughed out loud at his brother's facial expression and then Hikaru joined in with him.

Tamaki turned his head to Haruhi. "_Haruhiiii_," His whine made her sigh, and look over her shoulder. He had a hand stretching out for her to take with lips trembling like he was about to cry. "Their making fun of me, and Ren didn't like my plan. I need a hug."

"What did you expect?" She folded her arms over her chest. "Besides, you got yourself into this."

Tamaki got smacked across the room with Haruhi's words. He tumbled a few times and soon came to a stop, laying on the floor. Brain dead.

**[ Rejected! ]**

Ren stood up with a slump posture. "What I said wasn't a lie. Changing a dark creature will be hopeless. You'll only be putting the things that matter most on hold. So leave now. Getting yourselves in deep waters will only result in your demise."

Hikaru scoffed, running fingers through his red hair. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do something more important in your life before you die!" Shouted Ren.

He formed a fist and took a step towards her. "You little twerp!"

"Hikaru!" The Hitachiin looked over his shoulder. Tamaki was already up and standing behind him.

"He recovered quickly." Muttered Haruhi. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Tamaki continued in his rarely heard serious voice. "Don't do anything brash. There's a different way to approach this."

For a moment, there was a flash of guilt across his features, but then it was gone, hidden behind his rough facade. "Whatever." He said and walked away with a barely discernible frown.

Tamaki's eyes followed Hikaru walk away until he was completely out of his field of vision. He glanced at Ren. "Before I consider commenting myself to your demands, I would like to know how helping you would get us killed." Coolly explained Tamaki.

She slowly exhaled, giving her a moment to put her next words into sequence. Her lie had to sound good - the better it sounded, the sooner they would leave. "I didn't want to say anything earlier, but now you leave me with no choice." Ren paused. "You can't stay-"

Hikaru startled Ren when he suddenly appeared next to her. She looked at him, wide eyed, and he smacked her across the head.

Everyone gasped.

"Ow!" Her hands flew to her head, grabbing the area that throbbed painfully. She glared up at her attacker. "What was that for?"

"Must you be so blunt whenever you open that big gap of yours?" He asked with a bland expression.

"Must you always hit someone before they finish their sentence?" She countered strongly. "Idiot! Let me finish!"

"Keh!" He said, crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air. "Whatever you say."

Ren raised her hands in front of her, getting ready to strangle him until his face turned all colors of the rainbow, but then a little voice in the back of her head screamed for her to stop. _What about your education? Look how far you've gone. Don't let him be the one to ruin everything that you worked so hard for in these past four years._ The voice was right, she considered. Ren closed her eyes, counted to ten, and she dropped the whole thought of killing Hikaru in front of everyone with her own bare hands. _Think about your future_ the voice would say again. She gave in and began where she left off.

"The reason why you can't stay is because my aunt is not the friendliest person when she finds strangers in her home. After spending six months in Africa, learning everything there is to know about killing to survive, she's grown accustom to murdering unknown faces in her territory. If she see's you all here, there's no telling what she'll do. Decapitation has always been her specialty," She smirked. "Next to butchering bodies into tiny pieces."

"Don't tell me you all are buying this crap?" Scorned Hikaru.

"EEP!" Squealed Hani. He grabbed Haruhi's arm, and squeezed it tightly. "Scary! Scary!"

"That story sounds . . ." Tamaki paused for a gulp. You could see the sweat pouring profusely down his face. "Convincing enough," He cleared his throat, and quickly turned around. "How about we leave?"

"YEAH!" The rest of his club members power-walked behind him to the exit.

"Not so fast." Kyouya said slowly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. They froze in their place. "I would rather meet with your aunt - face to face - before making any final decisions." He said to Ren.

"Kyouya, didn't you hear her?" Asked Kaoru.

"Her aunt will slice us, and sell us by the pound! I'm too cute to die!" Admitted Tamaki.

"Scary! Scary!" Cried Hani, hands over his mouth.

Hikaru grimaced. "You all are idiots."

"We're not leaving." Demanded Kyouya without taking his gaze off of Ren. "I spoke with her aunt before, and judging by her kind words and flamboyant personality, I doubt she could even harm a fly." He smiled gently. "Not that I don't believe you, of course."

_Yeah, right, _she thought as her nerves pulsed. She decided to try again. "Don't be a fool. She enjoys the art of manipulation. She mastered it. Please, just leave. Think about your lives. Think about the people who love you."

"O' dear _nieeeece!"_

Fear struck through Ren like lighting. "That magnificent voice . . ." She whispered.

Descending the flight of stairs was none other than Manaka Ichihara, a woman who could be classified as being an international beauty - irresistible to men and very powerful. She was famous for her growing PC company that has been in the business for about ten years now. Anyone in the technology world knew her name and knew it well. Another quality known about her were her eyes which were huge, round, the irises of a light blue they appeared almost white.

She tossed her long, wavy brunette hair over her shoulder. "Would you love to accompany me to the-" Manaka paused at the foot of the stairs when she spotted seven people in her house. It was obvious she didn't recognize them by the lost look on her face.

The Host Club was trembling in their custom-made shoes - except for the brave Mori and the mysterious Kyouya. They feared she would explode and chase them out with a chainsaw in her hands. The tension in the room became intense as the silence prolonged.

Ren counted to three in her head until Manaka's large, red lips curved up into a winning smile. "How lovely!" She cried enthusiastically, throwing her arms up.

"Aaaaaghhhhhh!" Tamaki, Haruhi, the twins and Hani all screamed and died on the floor. Their spirits floated out of their bodies, heading towards heaven.

Ren laughed at their pain.

Overlooking the mess of broken wood by the entrance, Manaka scanned the room with her white eyes. They stopped on Ren. "Ah! Good morning my dear niece." She had a slight French accent, which she inherited from her father's side. Manaka waved at her, shining ever-so brightly.

"Blinding!" Ren jumped behind a loveseat to avoid her aunt's bright glow. "Mana-san!" She called angrily. "I thought you left to work! What on Earth are you doing here?"

She pulled out an elegant cigarette holder from her purse with a cig already inside. She lit it, placed it in between her red lips and took a drag. She exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Forgive me for not telling you earlier, but it all happened very quickly at the time. I realized I haven't really sat down and chatted with you since you arrived, so I took the day off from work so we can catch up on things." Her gaze averted to the Host Club who have all now recovered from their near-death-experience. "But it seems you already made plans of your own today."

Ren shook her head, frustrated at this point. "I don't plan on spending time with any of them!"

"Being funny has never been one of her strong points, I'm sure." Kyouya gave a low, waist-level bow. "Good morning Mrs. Ichihara. My name is Kyouya Ootori. We spoke yesterday on the phone about visiting you to discuss about an important issue."

Ren's eyes stretched from ear to ear. _So they were invited after all?_ All of her previous questions about them visiting were answered. She should have seen this coming. Behind her bangs, her eye's burned bright red as she glared at her aunt. The traitor.

She smiled pleasantly. "Ah, yes! I remember. I didn't think you would be visiting so early, though."

"My apologies." Said Kyouya.

She took another drag. "No worries. But before we begin our discussion, I would like to know if my niece made any friends by now."

"Of course. We have all befriended your niece." Manaka turned to the new voice in the room. Tamaki gently took her free hand into his before she could react. He raised it to his lips. "You may call me Tamaki Suou. President of the Host Club." He sweetly kissed her palm.

Ren was taken aback by Tamaki's strange choice in greeting her aunt. _Who does that,_ she thought.

"You're quite the charmer, aren't you? It's not a surprise to know you're the president." She twirled around and walked over to the loveseat Ren was hiding behind. She took a seat, crossed a leg over the other and glanced up, smirking. "I'm pleased with this wonderful news. I can finally go about my days peacefully knowing my Ren will not be alone again for another four years." You wouldn't have seen it if you blinked. Beside Kaoru, Hikaru showed the slightest bit of sympathy, but it quickly disappeared. Manaka inhaled on the black pipe and blew a puff. "Aside from that, what brings such handsome young men to my home?"

Tamaki did the honors of speaking for everyone. "We're here to personally inform your niece about The Winter Ball that we are sponsoring for the students of Ouran Academy."

Slowly, Ren peeked over the sofa with a look of suspicion. _What are they up to?_

He continued, making his voice as smooth and compelling as he could. "The Winter Ball is one of the host club's finest and most popular event. Unfortunately, it occurs once every year. Which is why we want Miss Ichihara to experience the magical feeling that all of Ouran students get on that special night. It's something that everyone looks forward to, actually."

A smirk grew on her soft face. "A ball, you say?" This interested Manaka. She slowly closed her eyes, her black lashes brushing her high cheekbones.

Oh, no! Ren noticed that familiar look on her aunt's face. She was planning something, and it was more than likely going to deal with her. It was terrifying to even think about the things being created in her aunt's corrupted mind. She didn't waste time thinking over her next words. No. She had to stop her aunt's unsaid ideas before they added more trouble to her life. In an act out of pure impulse, Ren stretched her arm in front of Manaka's face, pointing at something. "Mana-san! Look what they did to your precious doors! Get mad at them!"

"What about the ball?" Asked Tamaki with an innocent expression.

She gave him a cold glare. "I'm not going!"

Manaka's eyes flew open. She quickly faced Ren, startling her by grabbing her face in her hands. "Those doors can easily be replaced. But you not going to the ball can _never_ be replaced! How else are you going to make new friends if you don't attend your first high school dance?"

"I already said I'm not going!" Ren pulled her face out of her aunt's tight grip. "Now kick them out of here!"

Manaka stared at her niece for about a good minute, deliberating. She came to a decision. Silently, Manaka rose to her feet. "When I heard about the Host Club, the first thing that came to mind was a group of handsome young men who knew everything there is to know about a lady. I want to see if that is true." The serious tone in her voice drew all eyes to her. She crushed the tip of her cigarette in the ashtray as she spoke. "I have a proposition for you boys. I give you my full permission to get my niece prepared for the ball."

"Wait a sec-" Ren was interrupted when Hikaru covered her mouth from behind. She elbowed him in the stomach, leaving him breathless. Kaoru jumped her, wrapping his arms around her to help his brother hold her back. Ren struggled violently.

With a hand around his mouth, Tamaki pretended to think over Manaka's offer, when really he was hiding a wicked smile. _Everything's going according to my plan._

Manaka Ichihara, like any family member, worries about her niece's social life and what will become of her in the near future. Therefore, scheduling a meeting to talk about the Ball - an event that normal high school students attend and grow strong bonds with others alike them - would without a doubt draw Manaka to his side. She would then force Ren to go along with them, which would later help unravel his ultimate plan: Changing Ren into a lady - his main goal. If he played his cards correctly, winning Manaka's approval will be simple.

Tamaki casually lowered his hand to his neck, the smirk long gone from his beautiful face. He glanced up at her, meeting her gaze. "Such a _huge_ proposition for such a_ small_ amount of time," He emphasized, making his point obvious.

Manaka's lush lips curved, smirking. It amazed her how seventeen year olds already knew the significance of a wager. "Just name your price." She was calm. After years of experience, she was already used to dealing with gentlemen like the clever student before her.

The floor was now Kyouya's. He cleared his throat, gaining the business woman's attention from Tamaki. "We do provide professional etiquette training at the Host Club for a good fee." He explained. "And according to my calculations, if you agree to take the training, plus allowing us to dress Miss Ichihara appropriately for the ball, then the total amount we are looking at will be . . ." He opened his planner to a certain page and placed his index finger on a word. "Ten million dollars."

"Deal!" Manaka said promptly, already filling out a check. Ren snapped her head up from under Hikaru's headlock. "I expect my niece to be well-taken care of due to this large check." She ripped the durable paper from the small booklet and handed it to Tamaki. "Understand?"

The gentle smile didn't really hide the warning behind her words. Tamaki remained in control of his alluring expression and took the check from her manicured hand. "No worries, my lady. We will watch over your niece as an older brother would to his younger sister."

"Splendid! Then I leave her in your hands." She pulled out a walkie-talkie, seemingly delighted. "You may drop the ladder now, John." She ordered into the device. The person on the other line responded. Outside of the window Manaka stood next to, a rope-like ladder suddenly dropped from the sky. "I'm off to a very important meeting in Paris. So I'll be expecting tons of pictures when I return, yes?" She grabbed onto the ladder and was instantly carried away. "! Au revior, for now, everyone! Oh ho ho ho!" Her proud laugh faded.

Wondering what was holding her, they all ran to the high-ceiling window. Three huge helicopters were flying away from the manor in the early afternoon sky with Manaka hanging on the rope from the helicopter in the middle.

"That lady is one reckless preson." Said Hikaru.

Kaoru seemed confused. "Didn't she just explain she took the day off from her job?" He asked his brother.

"I dunno." Hikaru looked over his shoulder and shouted, "Hey, Tono! What's up with that?"

Tamaki was waving the check in the air, fanning himself. "As intriguing as that might be, I could care less." The twins grimaced. "How about we get started on our little dark student?" He happily suggested.

"We might have a problem with that."

Everyone looked at Haruhi who was glancing around the room for something.

"What makes you say that, Haru-chan?" Inquired Hani.

Her big, brown eyes stopped on the short third-year. "Where's Ren?" She questioned.

The twins chuckled and turned to each other. "Don't be silly, Haruhi. She's right he-" They discovered an empty gap in between them. There was a pause. "She ran away!" They shouted in unison, horror clearly etched on their faces.

"What?" Tamaki was shocked. "How could you loose her? She was right next to you!"

"Hey, don't blame us!" Shouted Kaoru.

"You didn't see her take off either!" Hikaru was pointing at Tamaki.

He leaned forward, teeth clenched. "That's because I was too busy influencing her aunt!"

It was two against one in this battle, which Tamaki wasn't fully aware of at the time. They were giving each other deadly death glares and showing potential of ripping some limbs off.

Becoming restless with the whole situation, Kyouya stepped into the barrier of rage. "There's more important problems to be taken care of other then arguing over nonsensical things." Reminded Kyouya, watching the three apathetically.

They glared for a little longer.

"You're right." Tamaki was the first to turn away. His shoulders relaxed and he straighten his posture. He looked up, composed again. "She should still be in this manor, hiding from her destiny." He shot his right arm out in front of him, reaching for the ceiling. "Come! Let us find her under a rock somewhere, crying those same sad, wet tears! But don't weep no more my maiden, for I will be there with a comforting hand . . . and a tissue."

"Hey, Shakespeare!" Hikaru crossed his arms over his chest. "Enough with the dramatics. She's probably hiding from _you_ in her room."

"Ah! And in a room we shall find her and take her to a place where darkness, nor sorrow, will dare enter." Continued Tamaki. Red roses suddenly danced around his figure as he stood gloriously with his arm still high in the air. "Are you ready, because we're going into every single room, and cell, and corridor, and we won't stop until we find our dark maiden and guide her through the difficult path of perfection!"

Kaoru stared at him, worried. "Every single room?" He asked.

Tamaki nodded with too much enthusiasm. "That's right!" He turned around and marched up the stairs.

Everyone fell backwards, suddenly feeling dreadfully exhausted while Kyouya stood with Mori, eyes closed.

"Someone hand me a hard object." Idly demanded Hikaru, raising his arm up so they can place it in his hand. "So I can knock that idiot down."

"We don't have any." Responded everybody.

Hikaru groaned and dropped his arm, accidently hitting Kaoru's shoulder.

"Come on!" Ordered Tamaki, already standing on top of the staircase. "There's no time to be laying around. Get up! Get up!"

"We really hate you!" They shouted from downstairs.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

_"There's a place that I know_  
_It's not pretty there and few have ever gone_  
_If I show it to you now_  
_Will it make you run away?"_

_-Kelly Clarkson_

* * *

He was not insane. Everything was fine. He was fine, and wealthy. And, mind you, a wealthy person could not be insane. This situation was perfectly normal in the eyes of the president of the Ouran Host Club. Any person would do the same thing if they were in his expensive _'Salvatore Ferragamo_' shoes.

The following symptoms likely to occur are: extreme case of fidgeting with generally anything seen loose or dangling on their person - like he was currently doing to the ends of his sleeves - and tapping their feet impatiently without even realizing it. He was no doctor, though he knows a certain mysterious vice-president who was degreeing in the field, but he was sure these were all normal reflexes for him.

He had every right to be nervous. Standing for more than thirty-minutes without any of his friends in sight, or a single call from them would drive anybody up the wall with anxiety. As far as he was concerned, he was fine, because carrying an argument with yourself did not mean you were insane.

Tamaki was leaning against the wall while trying hard not to listen to the negative voice ringing inside his head. He anxiously waited for the return of his friends who will ease his troubling mind with good news. Yes, just good news. There was not going to be bad news of any sort. Bad news was unacceptable.

_Any minute now they're going to turn that corner over there, and tell me they found Ren hiding under her bed. Nothing to worry about, Tamaki, ha-ha._

_Then what do you suppose is taking them such a long time to come back?_ Probed the same negative voice that has been putting him down for more than fifty minutes.

_Well, that's simple. The reason why they're taking long is because Ren offered them a cup of tea. It's impolite to decline such a generous offer._

_Of course, of course. And then Kyouya did the Hokie-Pokie, and turned himself around while wearing a giant banana suit._

_Er . . . it could happen?_

_Think rational for a second, and then tell me the odds of that ever happening._

For once, the voice was right. Kyouya wouldn't be caught dead wearing any kind of a produce costume, let alone a ridiculous one, and Ren would never cater to the Host Club. She was utterly frightened by them. One glance and she faints on the spot.

"Time to switch topics." Tamaki demanded crankily, ruffling his hair with a sigh. "Speaking of time, shall I dare take a look?"

_Please don't answer that question. _He told himself.

_Fine. Fine. Not like I was going to anyway. Geez._

Tamaki sighed again. Definitely _not _insane.

Have decided one peek would not hurt, he raised his left arm, and caught a glimpse of his wrist watch. He groaned. Shouldn't have done that, he thought. It was now three o'clock in the afternoon, and they have yet to find their patient. The situation was rapidly beginning to turn hopeless in front of Tamaki's eyes. He feared they won't get her prepared for the ball in time.

"That's not enough time." He muttered. "With class in the way, the only time we'll get to see her will have to be after school hours. And we still need to convince her to accept having the Treatment Process." He gave a sharp sigh. It sounded worse saying it out loud.

The sound of heavy footsteps approaching pulled Tamaki back into reality, and he abruptly turned around. Down the corridor he spotted Haruhi, Mori and Hani running towards him.

_Finally._ He eagerly waited for the good news, but immediately realized there was no Ren being dragged behind them.

The group came to a complete stop in front of him.

"Anything?" He asked quickly, noting the anxiety in his voice. _Please tell me you don't have her with you right now because Kyouya and the twins are drinking tea with her. Tell me, tell me, tell ME!_

Hani was the first to respond. "Nope." He shook his head. "We couldn't find Re'ni-chan after all, Tama-chan."

At that instant, he could feel portions of hope pour out of his body. Without saying a word, Tamaki glumly leaned back against the wall - feeling dreadfully exhausted after stressing for hours - and covered his face with a hand.

"Where's everyone else?" He decided to ask after a moment.

Haruhi shrugged. "The last time we saw them was when you ordered us to split up."

". . . I see." He whispered.

Tamaki's body was present, however, his mind was hanging out in a place where "thinking" does not exist. He was standing in a room. There were white walls, no windows and no doors. He was trapped.

Haruhi frowned by seeing how uncharacteristically distant he was today, so being the kind person that she was, she added a positive reassurance. "I'm sure they're having better luck then we are, Senpai."

Inside the white room, Tamaki heard the gentle sound of water dripping. He looked up with dull eyes and saw - falling from the ceiling - drops of hope spilling on the floor. This new discovery fueled him just enough to pull himself back together. Tamaki held onto the bright feeling with a firm fist while he turned to Haruhi, smiling gently down at her.

"O' you're right, Haruhi!" He shouted enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around her thin body. She squeaked in surprise. "Thank you for saving me once again from that horrid place! What would Father ever do without you?"

Haruhi was freaking out by this unexpected embrace. "AAH! What are you doing?"

Tamaki rubbed his face against hers. "I'm thanking you with a hug."

"What did I say before about hugs." She demanded, not asking a question. "A simple 'thank-you' is just as effective!"

"But I prefer this much better." Admitted Tamaki.

"Hugs are very powerful." Said Hani, smiling up at his two friends. "Some people don't know how to explain their feelings, so instead they express them by showing it."

"Ah." Agreed Mori.

"See, Haruhi? I'm expressing my feelings by hugging you."

Not knowing how else to express her tiresome feelings to the Golden King, she did what any person would in this situation. Haruhi bowed her head, and sighed.

* * *

One minute, and twenty seconds later, things were not going so well for three students on the other side of the manor.

"Its empty!" Said Kaoru, and in a softer voice he added, "Which makes this room twenty-one."

Groaning the irritation out of his system, he closed the door behind him. "What use brings having this many rooms? I see no house maids around. Say Kyouya, doesn't just Ren and her aunt live here?" He asked arrogantly with a nose in the air, watching Kyouya move across the hall.

The vice-president did not respond. He merely opened a door and peered inside the room.

Kaoru scowled at the back part of Kyouya's head. "Fine. Don't answer back." He stuck his tongue out.

A few steps away, rubbing his stomach in a circular motion and looking more than famished, was Hikaru. "I'm so _hungry._ I need_ food_." His eyes snapped to his brother when an idea suddenly sprung in his head. "Hey, Kaoru!" He called brightly. "Let's go eat pizza. My treat."

Kaoru smiled at the sound of free food, and the open opportunity to finally leave the manor. "Abso-freakin-lutely!" He said.

"Hurry, before anybody notices we're gone." Hikaru suggested as if Kyouya was not standing ten feet away. Which he was.

The attentive vice-president closed the door to the room. "And I suppose a pepperoni pizza is going to erase your problem, Hikaru?" He asked, not caring to peer at the Hitachiin.

Hikaru felt his forehead wrinkle. "My problem?" He asked, confused.

"Indeed." Kyouya looked over his shoulder, stoic expression and all. "You are Miss Ichihara's host."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "So,"

"So," Kyouya said. "You have a responsibility."

There was a long pause. At the last minute, Hikaru decided to play it dumb. "Wear protective googles around Creepy-chan?"

Kyouya narrowed his eyes, unamused.

"What? Those nosebleeds can be dangerous." He affirmed.

On better days, Kyouya would have gladly doubled the amount Hikaru normally had to pay for his hosting dues, and probably throw in a couple of extra side-jobs just to annoy the hell out of him. Fortunately for the elder Hitachiin, the vice-president was tired after taking an unwanted three hour stroll in a manor - without breaks. Therefore, he let the asinine remark slide and decided to get even with him later. As for now, he brought his hand to his face, pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Lighten up, K.O." Hikaru said, walking down the corridor to his brother. "It's not like she can leave the manor anyway. She hates the sun. We'll find her soon enough."

"Sure, and I'm a monkey's uncle." Kaoru sneered.

"_Shush!_" Hushed Hikaru, and whispered in Kaoru's ear, "Dude, I'm trying to get him off our shoulders so we can stuff our faces with delicious pizza."

Kyouya over-heard and thought to begin by saying, '_Let me put this in idiot terms.' _But decided to go with a less brash approach.

"It's your responsibility to make her comfortable and to love The Host Club just like every other girl in Ouran Academy." He paused intentionally, tilting his chin up. "Which you have yet to do. _Which_, causes this problem."

The smirk melted from Hikaru's features.

This time, Kyouya fully turned his body around with arms folded securely in front of his chest. "But . . . if you were to do your job as her host . . . then perhaps . . . she can change." He purposely spoke slow so the information could sink snugly into the Hitachiin's thick and arrogant brain.

"As if." Hikaru rolled his eyes. "She'll never change."

_Of course you would say that._ "She can change." Challenged Kyouya, expression indifferent.

"You're serious?" Hikaru was truly amazed to have heard that response. "You really believe she's gonna change into a well-mannered, frilly-dressing lady in time for The Winter Ball?"

Kyouya nodded once. "Yes."

Hikaru threw his head back and laughed. "Good one. Just the thought of her in a dre-" The eldest Hitachiin had to stop himself from finishing his sentence when another wave of laughter bubbled through his lips.

Kyouya refrained from showing any human character while he watched Hikaru continue to drown himself in his own laughter. "How about I make things more interesting?" He suggested dully.

After the wet coughing and the heavy panting, Hikaru's laugh reduced to the occasional chuckling. He exhaled pleasantly and shifted his eyes to find an apathetic Kyouya staring back at him. He arched one brow. "Really?"

"Indeed." Pushing his lens up his nose, Kyouya's dark eyes were blocked from a bright glare caused by the afternoon sun shining in through the tall windows to his right. That was never a good thing. Little did Hikaru know the battle he was about to loose. "Would you like to know my intentions to making that into a reality?"

Hikaru shrugged his shoulders. "Let's hear it."

He acknowledged him with a simple nod of his head. "If Miss Ichihara doesn't agree to take part in the Treatment Process by twelve o'clock tonight, then I am forced to double your payment."

"What?" Hikaru choked.

"The same goes for Kaoru."

"Hey, since when did I become a part of this?" Demanded Kaoru angrily.

Kyouya slightly lowered his head. Beyond the bright glare on his expensive eyewear, his eyes were still staring at an irritated Hikaru. "You will be good hosts and help us prepare Miss Ichihara for the ball without trouble whether you like it or not." He paused, lifting his head up. "Now, if only a certain host would have done his job properly, then perhaps none of this would have taken place."

With that said, Kyouya walked away. He mentally patted himself on the back for once again making another person's life miserable. Briefly, he wondered if they would follow through.

Kaoru turned his head and glowered at his twin.

"Eh-heh . . . " Hikaru smiled uneasily.

* * *

One hour, twenty minutes and fifteen seconds later, a brain was nearly on the verge of exploding.

_Somethings aren't meant to be changed . . ._

_Now, are they? _

And so there she sat, the modest girl everyone has come to learn as: The Creature of the Darkness, or Societies Outcast, or the recently invented: Creepy-chan. Out of the many names people have referred to her by through the years, this girl was originally known as . . . Ren Ichihara.

Surrounded by the shadows in her room, Ren cradled herself in her arms. This has not been the first time she has found herself in a fetal position with only the dark as her company and, she assumed, it will not be the last time either.

She bit down on her lower lip, tearing through skin. The metallic liquid spilled into her mouth, and she rolled it around for a while before swallowing it down in one gulp. Everything was going horribly wrong today, but what annoyed her the most was she could not figure out exactly _who_ to point the finger at.

Ren first blamed the Host Club, of course, for coming over and corrupting her life even more then what it had already been.

"They shouldn't have visited without our permission." She grumbled. "They should have kept their distance. Glowing some place else where it'll actually be appreciated. I -"

Her jaw hung on that last word when she remembered Manaka had invited them to the manor, which automatically meant they did have permission.

"Alright then, Mana-san is to be blamed for this mess." It was easy to accept since her aunt was professionally educated to mess almost everything up for her, yet, still maintain a strong and flexible company at the same time. Till this day, Ren is puzzled about the truth of it, but she digress. "She can never keep her mouth shut when it comes to my life. How can she -"

The Hating-My-Aunt-Switch was quickly turned off when Ren realized if she had not walked into their club on that chaotic first day of school, her aunt would have never known them. Therefore, conversing and allowing them to visit would have never happened.

_Damn it. _

Ren groaned and lowered her face in between her boney knees. Her mind was running on empty. Names were one by one getting crossed off on her blaming list.

"Does this mean I should be blaming myself?" The corner of her mouth twitched. "Was I the one who started everything?"

She desperately pondered about the possibilities for a moment.

Stubbornly, Ren dropped the entire idea - refusing to consider herself as the perpetrator - and simply assumed she was not thinking hard enough. She tightly squeezed her eyes closed for a long while until she was seeing stars. After plowing through fresh memory, one person's face flashed across her head.

Her eyes flew wide open. "The dazzling creature!" She proclaimed aloud. "He didn't go to class. And because of this, I needed to go look for him in that club."

Ren was very certain now. There was no one else who could fit the position, but him. She was slightly amazed, though. How can anybody, with a temper similar to that of a chimpanzee, be able to ruin her in such a short amount of time?

She pressed her knees to her chin and mumbled, "I might just kill him before Monday at this point." It was then she glanced up as if someone had called to her attention.

Sitting on a wooden-stool was a toddler-size doll in overalls with a stripped shirt underneath. It's cracked lips were pulled up into a murderous grin, flashing a wide set of plastic rotten teeth. She reached out for it, dragging the horrid doll from the edge and sat it in front of her cold feet.

"Don't worry. I made an oath to the darkness to never return to the light, and I intend to keep it that way." She assured, fluffing it's wild red hair. "But I'm unsure how long I could keep from melting. It's going to be difficult." Ren sighed for what would seem like the hundredth time that day.

Ren leaned closer towards the doll, like it had motioned her with a single wave of its hand. Then she gasped. "Murder? Of course. I would never forget such an important task."

Digging for something underneath her bed, she fished out a badly folded sheet of paper and showed it to the doll. On the first page, in big letters and black ink, read **5 Ways To Kill The Devious Creature Hikaru** and below was already a list of five ideas.

"These are the things I came up with an hour ago. I'll read them to you." She sounded excited as she got herself comfortable on the floor. "Number 1: Drowning. I can hold his head under water until he runs out of breath. Or Number 2: Impalement to the head by an axe. It'll be messy, but worth it. Number 3: Electric shock . . . Oh! You're gonna love this next one. Number 4: A one way ticket to the Slovak village where he'll be tortured to death by rich-men like in 'Hostile'. Then there's Number 5: Food poisoning. I know. Not as enjoyable like the others." Ren glanced up at the doll, seemingly bothered by something. "They're all good ideas, but I don't know which one to choose. What do you think, Chucky-kun?"

Ren's motivation: Why suffer in the dazzling creatures bright presence, practically dieing by the hour, when you can kill him and be free for the rest of your life? Take a life in order to keep yours. According to Ren, it was the most sensible thing to do.

Normally, this sort of thinking would not once be considered from your everyday average person - average, meaning: everything Ren is not. The average person would more than likely complain for hours on end, or even brush it off, but never strategize a death plan. Then again, when it comes to Ren Ichihara, thinking normally was almost like chasing clouds.

Ren giggled darkly as she happily patted the doll's head. "To think you, the worlds famous murder, can't decide which one to use either."

She heard the door open.

"What do we have here?" A musical voice asked.

Ren twisted around.

Her pupils widen. There was no doubt in her mind that it was Hikaru Hitachiin walking to her, wearing that lopsided smirk she grew to hate.

"Ready to make-out passionately for hours?"

Her jaw dropped. _What?_

Ren rose to her feet quickly. Perhaps too quickly. She staggered and Hikaru caught her from behind. She tensed in the unexpected embrace, but he steadied her.

"Running away," he murmured in her ear, "will not keep me away from you."

Several chills crawled down her neck and spread throughout her back, tingling under her translucent skin. Her heart rate increased - beating loudly inside her eardrums. She shook her head, bringing her back to her senses, and began to struggle for release.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"_Shhhh_. Just relax." He whispered in a low husky voice, feeling her arms tremble. "I promise you'll enjoy it."

Ren can hear him smirking against her hair. Then, his arms constricted around her body, pulling her closer. She squeaked when his strong chest pressed to her back and, of course, she blushed.

_This isn't happening._ She told herself, eyes squeezing tightly together. _This is an illusion. I'm dreaming. The dazzling is not really here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. NotNotNotNotNot!_

Her eyes flew open when delicate fingers turned her head to the side. From the corner of her wide eye, Ren stared nervously at his flawless features, and was disoriented from the force of his honey-colored eyes. His breath became more quickly against her skin, blowing sweetly over her burning face. The smell of his breath made it impossible for her to think. She felt light-headed. He tilted his head slowly, and innocently licked her cheek.

It was too much for her to handle. Her knees gave away and she collapsed in his arms.

He chuckled to himself. "Well, that didn't take very long."

"Hikaru!"

Turning his head, Hikaru saw his brother step into the room. When Kaoru's eyes fell to the unconscious girl dangling in his brother's arms, his facial expression held the look of surprise.

"Is she . . ."

"Yup," said Hikaru, reading his brother's thoughts.

Kaoru's jaw slightly hung. "She fainted in less than a minute?" He asked, amazed.

Hikaru smirked and smugly tilted his head to the side. "Told you my plan would work."


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

_"So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them."_

_-Stephen Chbosky_

* * *

"Hmmm . . . "

Hani's huge brown eyes had not blinked once. They roam over her body laying in front of him, concentrating, searching for any sign of movement or sudden jerks. None came to his field of vision. After a moment more of this, his lips pressed into a thin line when he slowly began to feel the center of his pupils dry, tighten. They burned. Hani covered his eyes with his hands, tears flowing freely.

"WAAAAAAAAAH! My eyes burn!" He cried in pain while running in place.

" . . . Mitsukuni,"

Hani peeked open one eye, while rubbing the other, and innocently glanced up to find Mori standing by his side - as always whenever the short third-year needed help.

"You shouldn't stare for too long without blinking." He advised, expression indifferent. "You'll damage your eyes."

Hani sniffed, clearing the pathway in his nostrils for oxygen. "But Re'ni-chan hasn't moved yet. I don't get it. When I poke you while you're asleep you squirm a little, and when I do the same thing to Tama-chan he says strange things. But she does neither of those. Why? Why? WHY?!" Hani cutely crossed his arms over his chest, looking upset. One reason crossed his mind. "Unless . . . " He abruptly twisted around and pointed an accusing finger at Hikaru standing on the other side of the lobby. "You killed Re'ni-chan, Hika-chan!"

"_For the last time_," Hikaru groaned, becoming annoyed for repeating himself five times, "she fainted."

"But that was thirty-minutes ago." Hani pouted, childishly hammering the air with closed hands.

"Most common dizzy spells usually wear off after a few minutes, depending on how the brain responds to the chronic lack of oxygen and blood circulating in a person's brain." Kyouya messaged the end of his chin as he watched Ren sleep peacefully on the floor while everyone else stared at him in blank confusion - he had lost them around the word "chronic."

However, among the group, only one wore an even worst lost expression and that was Tamaki. Being the perfect person that he was, or thought he was, Tamaki was _actually_ trying to understand what Kyouya had just said by interpreting the sentence in his head, resulting in a much deeper look of bewilderment.

"So-" Tamaki began, but was immediately interrupted by Kyouya.

"On the other hand, she did not have a nosebleed so the loss of blood is not the cause to her extended unconscious state. Which leaves the lack of oxygen. Do you remember doing anything else besides holding her?" His dull eyes shifted to the Hitachiin.

He waited, but Hikaru never responded.

"Hikaru." His voice was stern this time.

The older Hitachiin sighed heavily, frustrated. "All I did was hug her so she wouldn't run away, and the next thing I know she faints on me. Geez! Since when did hugging fall under the murdering category?"

It was a lie and he was fully aware of it. The thought of confessing to his friends and brother that he had also _licked_ Ren on the_ cheek_ would more than likely stir up major pounds of problems for him, which he was not at all willing to carry.

Alright, yes he did it to make her faint, and yes he did it to feed the amusement inside him. The point here was he knew they wouldn't see it the same way. They would turn it over and tease the hell out of him. Not to mention singing that irritable song _Hikaru and Ren, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G_ whenever he would walk down the corridors in school.

It would be a living hell for him. The terrible news would spread like wild fire among the classes, and he would be finished. Gone. Tossed out the window along with her Highness of the Darkness and everything that is creepy. He shuddered from the disturbing thought. Definitely best to keep that part of the story hidden in the dark closet where it belonged.

Kyouya stared at the older Hitachiin far too long then normally, making Hikaru wonder whether or not he saw through his lie. He finally looked away. "In that case, expect her to remain like this until she wakes up."

"But that could take forever!" With hands grabbing onto either side of his face, Tamaki began to panic more by the second. "This was not part of my plan! How are we ever going to get her prepared for the Ball in time? Sleeping through the entire day is not good. Not good at all."

As everyone watched apathetically as their King continued to prattle on dramatically about 'We need to do _this_' or 'We're going to fail _that_', one person decided to enlighten the second-year from his unneeded sorrows.

"Stop your complaining." Tamaki shut his mouth as ordered. Kyouya looked down at the main source of everyone's worries. "Let us approach this matter differently for a moment. If you were Miss Ichihara, who developed a rare case of Hikaru Phobia, how would you react after seeing your worst fear?"

"More like worst nightmare." Corrected Hikaru, smirking.

"Silence."

"Oh, I know! I know!" Hani jumped up and down, trying to catch Kyouya's attention by waving his arms above his head. "Pick me! Pick me, Kyo-chan!"

"Go ahead, Hani-senpai." Allowed Kyouya.

"Yay! Okay, if I were Re'ni-chan and I saw my worst fear, I would cover my nose. Like this," his small hands flew to his face. "And have a massive nosebleed!"

The twins snickered among themselves.

Kyouya adjusted his eyewear upon the bridge of his nose. "Very accurate, Hani-senpai. Now, with that already said, if Miss Ichihara were to see something that contrasted with her great fear, what would that _something_ be?" You can almost hear him quoting the word.

This time Hani had no answer to that question. He blinked a few times, trying to remember the last time he saw Ren enjoy something. Sadly, none came to his mind. In fact, no one in the room knew. The silence was soon filled up with yet another question.

"You mean there's actually something she likes in this world?" Kaoru arched a brow.

Kyouya silently pulled out an object from inside his back pocket. Hikaru's eyes grew in size. He recognized the front cover almost immediately and wondered how Kyouya managed to get a hold of the novel he had used to distract Ren from running deeper inside the jungle back on the island.

"A book?" Kaoru's lips puckered in disappointment. He was expecting something disgusting like a decomposing cat head or a jar of eyes swimming in vinegar. "How is that tiny thing going to help us wake her up, Kyouya? You gonna hit her with it?"

Kyouya raised the novel in the air, dangling it above Ren's body. "The secret to gaining knowledge is not through asking foolish questions, but through observation and patience."

"Wait." Kaoru grimaced. "Did you just tell me off?"

Before Kyouya could explain, Haruhi choose that moment to enter the room. She carried a bowl filled with water and a hand towel.

Tamaki saw the kitchen items in her hands. "Haruhi, what's with the bowel and towel?" He inquired.

She kneeled down by Ren, and carefully set the bowl aside. "It's pretty obvious she doesn't like us. The smallest of things seems to bother her - like smiling, getting attention, and hugs." Behind his brother, Hikaru felt a slight guilty for causing so much trouble as he watched her submerged the hand towel into the cold water. Once squeezing the water out, Haruhi placed the towel over Ren's forehead. "I guess I want to show that we care about her. She might feel more comfortable, and maybe even come to trust us."

"Always so considerate." Tamaki felt happy tears building up in the corners of his eyes. He always admired Haruhi's huge heart, and his was beating excitedly inside his chest.

On the opposite side of Ren, across from Haruhi, Kyouya continued where he left off. "Thank you, Haruhi. They say a person can still have the ability to hear someone talking to them in their sleep. Let's put that theory to the test." He looked down at Ren. "Miss-Ichihara, you dropped your book 'The Horse-Dealers Daughter'. Would you like it back?"

She woke with a start - eyelids popping wide open. Everyone, except for the cunning Ootori, gasped in surprise.

"She's awake!" Announced Hani, smiling.

"But how?" Inquired Kaoru, tapping his chin.

"It's a miracle!" Tamaki laughed happily. "How do you feel, Ren? Need a glass of water?"

Ignoring Tamaki's generous offer, Ren threw her body forward. "Give me that book!" She commanded and then stumbled over something on the floor, loosing her balance and falling down with a splash. The floor under her was wet. Opening her eyes she saw a bowl slowly rolling on its side in front of her, the same bowl she tripped over. "Who -"

"I'm so sorry, Ren." Ren glanced up to find Haruhi apologizing to her. She smiled sheepishly. "I'm responsible for putting the bowl there. It was for the hand towel that I placed over your forehead to help you come to."

Ren's eyes widen._ You helped me?_

Hani hopped forward from the group. "Here, I'll help you up." He offered both hands to her.

At first, she stared strangely at them before reaching out and letting him pull her up to her feet. "Uh . . . thanks." She said, her voice nearly inaudible.

"You still want this back?" Kyouya held the novel up so she could see what he was referring to.

"My book." She reached out to obtain her lost possession.

Suddenly, he pulled his hand back. "Not so fast." He said, confusing her. "Do you recall a Treatment Process being arranged for you earlier this morning before you rudely ran off?" He curtly asked her.

_Should have known._ Once hearing the horrifying process that her aunt had agreed upon without her permission, she narrowed her eyes at her Senpai. "No!" She lied, and shot her right hand forward for the novel a second time. Again he pulled his arm back. "Return the book to me now!" She stomped her foot on the floor, frustrated with his little game.

Kyouya's face was unreadable. "You may have it back right after you accept change."

She shook her head. "Never!"

"Have it your way." Kyouya walked away. "Mori-Senpai, see to it that this book is properly disposed of."

"Ah." Responded Mori.

Frightened, Ren took a step forward. "No, don't do it!"

He looked back at her with a smirk playing on his lips. "Then I strongly suggest you take the offer."

Silence filled the room for a short moment.

"Is it really that hard for you all to understand?" Mumbled Ren, hands curling into fists by her sides. "Change is impossible for a dark creature, so stop pestering me about it!"

Kyouya crossed his arms over his chest, staring sternly at Ren. "Change is a normal process that happens to everyone - including dark creatures. And we have no other choice but to allow change to alter our lives."

She never took her eyes away from his dark ones. Change? Why should she change? She was happy the way she looked and acted. There was nothing about herself she wanted to change. Therefore, in order to accept change, should you not have the desire for it first? Sure change happens, but not until you want it to happen. There was a difference.

Dark creatures, like herself, enjoy the way they are because they had accepted being ugly long ago. They live with the truth that there is no possible exercise or process that can suddenly make them beautiful. So where is the reason to try when you know you are stuck?

She was born to be ugly, and nothing will change that.

"So what will it be?" Kyouya waved the small novel in the air, teasing her.

"Go ahead and toss it away."

Kyouya's eyes open wide with surprise. "What?"

"You heard me. I don't want it anymore." She lied, and gave them her back so as not to show the tears that escaped her eyes. "I'm sure there's hundreds of copies in town."

"Wait, Ren!" Tamaki's hands flew up, palms towards her like he was stopping traffic. "Please believe in change! What harm will that cause?"

She shook her head. "There's nothing in this world that'll make me want to become like you!"

"Gah - she's being rude again!" Said Kaoru, forehead creasing. "Ren, for the sake of my leisure time, don't walk away! I don't want to work overtime! Tono! What can we do to stop her from . . . ?" He almost chocked on his saliva when he found Tamaki sulking at a corner. "THIS IS NO TIME TO BE MOPING!" Shouted Kaoru, but his lord did not move an inch.

Hikaru thought hard as he watched Ren storm towards the staircase to, more than anything, lock herself in her room.

_Come on, Hikaru. Think! What can change her mind? _

And then it came to him. His lips curved up into an impish smile. "Strawberries."

Ren froze in her place, left foot planted on the first step of the stairs.

"What about them, Hikaru?" Curiously asked Haruhi.

"It just so happens Creepy-chan will do anything for strawberries." He declared proudly and nudged his brother's arm. "Isn't that right, Kaoru?"

"It is?" He asked, startled. Then understanding brightened his eyes. Mirroring his twin's smile, he return his attention to everyone else. "I mean, it _is_! She risked her own life the other day by going out into the hot sun just for a slice of Hani's strawberry short-cake."

"Hmm . . . is that so?" Tamaki deliberated for a moment as he messaged his chin. And then a light bulb turned on somewhere inside his head. He pointed at his vice-president. "Kyouya, didn't we order strawberry platters for the Ball?"

Ren's right ear perked at the sound of "strawberry platters".

Kyouya pulled out his cell phone and tapped the screen five times. "Indeed. My planner tells me exactly eighteen platters of a dozen, large chocolate-covered strawberries are expected to be picked up that night." He pocked back the device. Everyone else, but Ren, knew his cell did not have a planner installed yet.

"What are we going to do with the left overs?" Asked Hani, secretly adding more to the plan being created for Ren. "Throw them all away?"

Tamaki nodded, pretending to look sad. "I'm afraid so, Hani-senpai. Unless someone wouldn't mind taking them off our hands."

The twins shrugged their broad shoulders with the same sly grin across their faces. "Wonder who that could be?"

Mori averted his dark eyes towards a motionless Ren standing alone on the first step. "Ren," He suggested calmly.

"Ah, that's right! What do you think, Ren? You can have all the strawberries you're little heart desires." Tamaki made his voice very alluring for obvious reasons. "Of course, you first must go to the Ball." He waited, knowing he had already won.

Haruhi narrowed her eyes. "You're all evil." She knew how it felt to be bribed into doing something. Since the day she became part of the Host Club she learned the term "giving up" was almost none existent to them.

Ren turned and, though they could not see it, gave them a hard glare. "Deal!" She growled, allowing them to suck her into their world of glamor and brightness all for some chocolate covered strawberries.

"YAAAAY!" Celebrated Hani.

"Glad you're seeing things our way." Tamaki snapped his fingers together.

Hikaru and Kaoru ran straight for Ren. She did not have the chance to react when they each grabbed a hold of one arm, lifting her off the floor.

"We'll be outside." Said Tamaki, and followed everybody else out the door.

Blushing, Ren fought back the feeling of faint by bitting down on her lip. _Just think about the strawberries. It'll all be worth it at the end. You're going to be okay. _A velvety voice threw off her mental pep talk, and she snapped her head to the left to find the Hitachiin staring at her. Her heart sputtered hyperactively. At that second, she knew those beautiful eyes belonged to Hikaru.

"I know you're secret." He whispered.

"You do?" Asked Ren, one blush blending into the next.

Without saying a word, he reached into his back pocket. Her eyes open wide with surprise when she saw him pull out a familiar piece of paper with her handwriting scribbled on it.

He grinned at her, suddenly amused. "Planning to get rid of me?"

She panicked. "That's not mine!"

"You're telling me after finding this pretty paper in your room it's not yours?" He asked sarcastically, leaning closer to her as he spoke, his liquid golden eyes penetrating - trying to get the truth out of her.

Ren tried to remember how to breathe. "I can explain." She said in a faint voice.

Hikaru blinked and, abruptly, his mood shifted; a mischievous smile rearranged his features. "Alright then." He leaned back from her face - which she was very thankful for. "Enlighten me." He insisted.

Ren slightly turned her head to the side and exhaled through her mouth. She struggled to think clearly in spite of his smiling perfection, to search for an explanation that can help her slide through the cracks. After a good moment, it was clear to her that she was busted.

"Couldn't think of anything, huh?" He guessed.

"Are you -"

"Upset?" He filled in for her rather quickly.

She nodded slowly, too embarrassed to speak.

His grin grew wider and whispered, "Not really. It was kinda . . . flattering, actually."

She blinked, still dazed. "What?"

He laughed darkly. "So, tell me, what happens to the beast in the fairy tale?" He asked, changing the subject all of a sudden.

Kaoru stared at his brother on the other side of Ren. His expression unreadable.

"Um . . . w-well," She stuttered, futilely trying to unscrambled her brian, eyes darting around the room. It bothered her a little when she could not concentrate with him staring at her so intensely. Taking in a deep breath, she forced her eyes to glance up at him. Then her mind went blank. "Er . . . what was the question again?"

Hikaru made a buzzer sound. "Wrong answer."

Before Hikaru sprinted across the lobby while dragging Ren behind him as she screamed along the way; before he ran out the broken front door and down the steps, Kaoru had released his hands around Ren's arm. He stood there, alone, staring at his twin having difficulty getting her into the limousine parked outside.

"Kaoru?"

He did not turn, but he knew who was calling him.

"Are you okay?" Asked Haruhi, pausing by his side.

He blinked, and slowly turned his head. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He forced a smile.

She had a faint frown on her lips. "Well, it seemed like you were in a daze a second there."

He chuckled lightly. "Don't be silly, Haruhi."

With that said, he slide his hands deep inside the pockets of his trousers and sauntered out the door.

Haruhi did not move from her spot. She was too occupied wondering about Kaoru. She had a strong feeling in the pit of her stomach that he was not completely being honest with her. His eyes told her there was something bothering him.

"But what?" She mumbled to herself.

"Come along now, Haruhi." Tamaki said in a sing-song voice. "We're leaving."

"Coming!" Deciding to uncover Kaoru's strange behavior later, she hurried to her Senpai waiting for her on the steps.

Tomorrow was always another day.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

_Come on. Move faster!_

Her brow furrowed as she chewed the inside of her lip with concentration. She already had her schoolbag on her lap with hands clinging impatiently to the shoulder strap. Clearly her intentions are to race out the door the second the bell rang. Usually she wasn't in such a hurry to leave.

_Only one more minute._

She stared pointedly at the clock, wiggling anxiously in her seat, and knees jumping, but the long black stick refused to move."Arrrgh!" She cried out in frustration, throwing her body back.

The sound made everyone in the class look over their shoulders towards the end of the room. The students faces all turned pale when she peered from under dark, unkempt bangs, eyes glowing red. They shrieked and quickly turned back - pretending to do something, anything to keep them occupied from encountering her frighting attitude.

Ren leaned forward, and let her face fall upon her hands. She exhaled heavily, earning a yelp from someone in the room. Time was not cooperating with her at all that afternoon. The minute hand seemed to enjoy irritating her by staying on the same damnable number; as if someone had glued them together when she wasn't paying attention. Which better have not happened, because she had no problem giving a person absolute hell.

School was nearly at an end. In a couple of seconds, the prosperous students of Ouran Academy will soon return to the outside world and spend their free time with friends or family, while a number of other students, mainly girls, will flourish to the Third Music Room and treat themselves to the company of the popular members of the Host Club. Of course, all ladies were welcome to the club, but amazingly only one enjoyed alienating from the Eden of gorgeous men - especially on this day.

Lifting her chin, she stared at the electric clock hanging on the wall. The second hand passed over the minute hand for what seemed like the millionth time. "Okay, I know I'm not the most nicest, or honest person alive," she pleaded, as if it was a matter of life and death; which according to her, it really was. "But, can you please move?"

Three empty seats in front of Ren sat a girl with short hair. Her eyes were swelling with tears as she raised her trembling hand above her head. "Sensei, the new student is talking to herself again."

The teacher cleared his throat. "Now, Miss Rejjo, there is absolutely nothing unusual about talking to yourself." Though he had his share of self conversing, he did wonder if Ren Ichihara was human.

Ren was oblivious to the world around her. Was making time go faster too much to ask for? For once in her luckless life, couldn't Grandfather Time take her words into consideration and kindly inch forward as told. Didn't she deserve a little sympathy? Clearly, Grandfather Time could care less because the time still read 2:59 PM.

Exasperated, Ren grabbed her desk and with one swift move, she threw it straight up in the air. It crashed hard against the ceiling, and then fell down in front of her in complete ruins. "Stupid clock." She growled aloud.

"So _scaaaryyyy_!"Cried everyone in the room.

And then the bell rang. With an uplifting expression, Ren jumped out of her seat and hurried down the rows of desks, stumbling out the door as she cackled like a lunatic. The taste of freedom sent a thrill through her body, and she shivered. While enjoying the weightless feeling of finally leaving the bright academy, and the opportunity of returning home without having any problems, she rushed through the hall as it slowly began to fill up with chattering students. It just goes to show you that miracles truly do exist, and she was very thankful for that.

While on her way to the corner, something silvery twinkled and glistened, but Ren refused to glance at the wall. How many posters had they put up, she thought. The ball had been the talk of the day. In her other classrooms the girls excitedly bragged about what dress they were going to wear, which famous designer was going to make it, who they were going with, which hair-dos they were planning on using and blah, blah, blah, blah! Clearly Tamaki wasn't joking, or showing off for that matter, when he said The Winter Ball was no ordinary high school dance. It was the biggest, and most important ball in the history of Ouran Academy. Dress attire had to be very formal, ball gowns for the girls and traditional tuxedos for the guys. She couldn't picture herself wearing a gown, or a dress for that matter. But unlike her other school dances, Ouran only provided the best of the best for their students. If memory served her correct, then The Winter Ball would be breathtaking, in the sense that everything in that room would be worth over more than her life. Ren, of course, was not planning on sticking around to find out.

She passed a group of three boys in the hall. Her haste roused their curiosity. One turned, and asked her _hey, where's the fire_ in hopes of gaining her attention. She ignored them and walked as fast as she could without actually running. She knew going any faster would result in falling flat on her face, and that would do nothing but delay her chance to escape. Time was obviously not on her side today. She needed to find the exit before the Host Club caught on to her plan and try to stop her. Everyone here seemed to idolize them, but little did they know the true evil behind the doors of the Third Music Room. The need to withstand five long painful hours of their dazzling light just might be the end of her days.

With a sigh, she skipped around the corner.

_Actually, this seems a little too easy for comfort. Wouldn't they have known I would do this?_

She was very confident that they didn't trust her nighty-nine percent of the time. And influencing people - which she witnessed with her aunt at first hand - was almost like a born gift to them; so saying the teachers didn't release them before the bell rang was out of the question. With that said, why aren't they here trying to stop her? They were very intelligent, and perspective for a bunch of pretty boys.

_Maybe this is their plan._ She thought. _Maybe they want me to think I have a chance to escape without encountering any of them so they can catch me when I least expect it. Ha! Well, they can try._

She zigzagged around random people, being careful not to bump into anybody. Drawing attention was something she needed to avoid if she planned to stay on the down low. Home was waiting for her, and a cup of chocolate pudding. She was going to win, and the dazzling Host Club's painstakingly thought-out plan was going to fail.

She reached another corner, and a swift glance revealed that the exit was clear from any present danger. With an excited smile, she advanced. "Just a little _mo - ahaaaaah_!"

Without a warning, which would have been great, something yanked her away from her one way ticket to the outside world. The strong force knocked her off her feet, and she fell with little grace, landing on her back. One word ran through her head:

"Ow," She moaned, reaching for the pain located behind her head. She stopped her arm half-way in anticipation when she heard loud footsteps approaching from behind her. They sounded very close. The footfalls suddenly stopped. Her heart beat accelerated.

"Hi, Re-ni-chan!" Hani's smiling face popped out in front of hers.

She squeaked in surprise, and tried scooting far away from him as best as she could while still laying on her back, but something around her stomach wouldn't allow her to move any further. Confused, she looked down and found rope wrapped around her waist. _But how?_ She gulped nervously before tilting her head back. Her eyes bugged out of their sockets. An upside down Mori stared back at her . . . holding the other end of the rope.

At first, Hani didn't understand why she reacted the way she just did, but the confused expression was quickly replaced with a smile when he saw the rope. "Wondering how that got on you, huh?"

She whipped her head up. Ren forgot about her short Senpai.

He giggled at her strange behavior and said, "Takashi's best at lasso. He got first place at a lasso contest in the Wild Wild West Festival when we took a trip to Texas, El Paso last summer."

She spoke from between clenched teeth. "How on earth did you know I was coming through this hall?"

Hani laughed. "We followed you silly banana."

Impossible. She could have sworn no one was behind her, let alone following her. How do they do it?

"Don't move." Her brooding came to a halt when her body was suddenly lifted and placed in an upright position. She blinked in blank confusion and watched as Mori quickly finished the job by wrapping the remaining part of the rope around her torso before her brain could process everything. Her arms were totally incapable from moving so much of an inch. So this is how livestock feels like, she thought solemnly.

Hani pointed down the hall like a proud general leading his army to battle. "To the Host Club!" He ordered, and marched forward.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ren avoided Mori's hands by leaning back. Her attempt was a waste when he lifted her small body with ease, placed her on his shoulder, turned around, and sauntered behind his cousin with an unreadable expression. As they walked, Ren tried fruitlessly to change their minds. "I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!"

Three people stopped in the hall to stare at them.

"I'M DEAD!" She cried as they turned the corner.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

Walking into the room - looking more like a Greek God then anyone had a right to - Tamaki approached his two customers by the love seats. He took a seat in between them without saying a word. Despite his breath-taking looks that with a single glance he'll make any girl's heart beat faster, something seemed rather off about him. The two girls silently staring at their King ran through the possibilities quickly in their minds.

One: He didn't make a grand entrance by flashing his brilliant smile that all girls look forward to upon arriving at the club. Today a frown graced his beautiful porcelain face. Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking.

Two: The charm had vanished without a trace; the one that sends a powerful jolt of excitement through your brain, paralyzing your thinking ability, and making your knees shake. Deadly, but my God it was worth every moment.

Three: Where were the gorgeous roses he usually offers? His hands were empty. What were the girls going to do now without a rose to brag about to their friends outside of the Host Club? How were conversations going to start? Gossip as we know it was doomed! _Doomed!_

The girls exchanged frightened looks. It was time to get some answers, but of course there were rules when it came to dealing with sensitive situations like these. Since birth they were raised to be sophisticated and well-mannered young ladies, taught to begin with a less straightforward approach. Observe . . .

"Excuse me, Tamaki-kun. If it's alright with you, may I ask you a question?" Asked one of the two girls in a soft, sweet voice.

"Not at all. Please, go ahead." He allowed, smiling a little.

"Well, I've been your designator for a whole year now, and I can't help but feel there's something troubling you. Is everything alright?"

Gracefully, Tamaki placed one leg over the other, getting himself a little more comfortable. He put a hand to his mouth, and cleared his throat. "Oh, its nothing really. I just need to take care of a certain . . . " He trailed off, eyes closed, searching for the right word to use.

"Problem?" Guessed the other.

His eyelids gradually opened. "You're close," He turned to look at her, and the famous brilliant smile had returned - ultra white teeth glistening behind his lips. The poor girl was on the point of faint, but somehow she couldn't stop staring at his godly face. "Let's just say I've been under pressure."

The girl on his right turned away, ashamed. "It must have been very important to keep you this late. I shouldn't have showed. I'm sorry." A hand found its way to hers and she immediately looked back at him, large curls bouncing around her head.

"Don't think such silly thoughts, dear." She was in a daze, staring at his lips as they curved and spread in all the right ways. "The burning love you give me each day is so desirable. Like a hungry hummingbird drawn to a lushes flower," he tenderly brushed her cheek, and she shivered, "I came all the way here out of free will just to see you."

"You're right." She breathed, eyes glued to his smirked lips. "I should think before I . . . s-speak."

Next to Tamaki, the other girl pouted in jealousy. "Tamaki-kun, I too felt like a burden to you."

Abruptly he twisted around, hands circling around the small of her waist. "Don't feel that way, dearest. My wish is to be by your side for all eternity. Not even _God_ himself can separate us!"

"Oh, Tamaki-kun," She sighed with a smile.

A couple of ways behind the Golden King, pass Kyouya who was politely letting Hani's and Mori's designators know that they were running a few minutes late, sat a group of four students at a round table. Kaoru watched his designator's face turn bright red as she kept her eyes focused on her lap. She finally glanced up, but only to look down again. He sighed. She's always so shy, he would think to himself, it wouldn't hurt anybody if she could be a little more talkative. He tried not to look bored through.

Out of the many rules a host had to follow, the number one rule was to please your customer by any means necessary. Which meant, for instance, if Kaoru woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and it turned out drama was some how given permission to ride on his back all day, then he still had to come to the club with a positive attitude, and a smile - fake or genuine. No matter the excuse, a host's job was to make their customer happy, which his brother was failing to do with Ren. But could he be blamed? She was odd, liked things no one would dream to be enjoyable - Chucky dolls, murder. And who could work with a person who was socially handicapped? He thought they should listen to Ren and leave her alone. But it really wasn't his place to decide. Tamaki had goals, and once that happened, changing his mind was impossible.

Kaoru stopped pondering about the possibilities of Tamaki getting frustrated with Ren and canceling the get-Ren-pretty-before-the-ball plan, and returned to his designator. Deciding to put on a fake smile, he began the teasing. "Excuse me, Miss Mimi?" He asked in a silken, irresistible voice, glancing up from under his lashes.

Mimi's head snapped up, a wide set of green eyes behind a pair of glasses. "Um" - she shook her head - "Y-yes," she breathed.

"I notice you keep staring at your lap." He surprised her again. "Is there something you'd like to show us?"

Sitting next to Mimi, her friend laughed in a girly way. "They know." She said. "As to be expected from the brothers."

Mimi glared at her as she spoke. "Well, I did bake a pie."

"Is that so?" Kaoru's smile grew wider, but his eyes mocking.

Her friend leaned forward, placing her chin in her hands with a flirtatious smirk. "And I helped."

Flushed, Mimi slowly set a delicate slice of Lemon Meringue Pie on the table for everyone to see. With both hands, she carefully slid the plate towards her two crushes. She entwined her manicured fingers and placed them on her lap, waiting.

"Mm, how thoughtful." Kaoru observed the pastry with obvious interest before glancing up at Mimi. "Did you two bake this out of your caring hearts?"

The girl, who Kaoru knew as Tsuno, spoke for Mimi before she could open her mouth. "We did. When you told Mimi how much you enjoy eating sour foods, she asked me to help bake this pie for you and Kaoru-kun." She tried her best not to sound too eager.

"I don't like sour stuff,"

Everyone's eyes snapped to the other brother. He was staring forward, past their heads.

"What do you mean, Kaoru-kun?" Tsuno was baffled.

"I mean, only one of us likes it." He was still looking ahead, expressionless.

She gasped, and then lowered her head, feeling very embarrassed. "Oh . . . I'm sorry. We just figured you would -"

"Like it too." He filled in for her, voice gentle. Both girls nodded their heads. And then Hikaru's face twisted up into a perfect uneven smile. "But that doesn't necessarily mean I won't try some." He said, eyes falling on Mimi's.

The two girls were amazed by his quick change of mood, but like true Little Devil fans, Mimi and Tsuno smiled pleasantly. "Thank you." They said politely at the same time.

"By the way," He lifted the spoon off the table and scooped up the cool-whip on top of the pie. "I'm not Kaoru." The fluffy white topping disappeared behind his equally white teeth.

"We're back!" Hani skipped happily through the doors. "And look who we found!"

As told, Hikaru looked up. Mori walked through the doors, carrying Hikaru's favorite creepy designator on his shoulder. She was giving everyone her back.

"Unbelievable. She never learns does she?" Kaoru peered sideways, checking his brothers expression.

"Apparently not." His voice was amused, still staring at her.

"Hmmm . . . " Kaoru hummed in thought.

He turned his head, and looked directly at his brother for the first time that day. "What's up?"

"I'm curious," Kaoru had one hand under his chin. "What would you do if Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai failed to capture Ren?"

There was a short pause. Hikaru thought about the question throughly before looking up at the ceiling. "Go after her, I guess."

Though he didn't see, Kaoru's eyes widen a little. "Why?"

"Kyouya's blackmailing us, of course."

Well, that is a good excuse, thought Kaoru. "And where would you look first? At her home, perhaps?" He fished.

"After escaping those two?" Hikaru grimaced, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. She would know that'll be the first place we would look for her. I'm thinking somewhere weird, and totally secluded. Like the anatomy storage room on the second floor. They keep all sorts of animal body parts in-" He turned to look at his brother, and found him making a face. This made Hikaru shut up, and sit upright in his chair. "What? Isn't obvious?"

His brother was suddenly weary. Then he turned his head away from him. "Sure." That was all he said before deliberately shoving a spoon full of lemon cream into his mouth.

"Mori-senpai! Hani-senpai!" Tamaki brightly called to attention, and stood up swiftly from between two flushed designator's. "Welcome back."

"It's good to see you two have returned, and in such great timing too. I hope helping our lost client find her way to the Host Club wasn't too much trouble."

Ren arched her back and gave Kyouya a grimace of wry amusement over Mori's shoulder. "I wasn't lost." She grumbled in annoyance.

"It was a piece of cake!" Hani held up one hand, and gave Kyouya the O.K sign.

"Mori-kun is carrying some sort of animal."

"Oh, it's filthy!"

Haruhi curiously turned her head to take a look for herself. Her brows furrowed in an expression of displeasure when she saw not a filthy animal, but Ren instead. Though she had to admit, from this angle, it was easy to mistaken her for an animal since Mori was holding her like one. "Couldn't they be a bit less rough with her? Honestly, how do they expect her to be corporative when they treat her so badly?" She mumbled to herself, her eyes following Tamaki as he hurried towards Mori.

"Haruhi-kun?" Haruhi turned from the call of her name. "Would you happen to know what animal Mori-senpai is holding?" Kindly asked one of her designators.

She suppressed from arching a brow, but instead smiled weakly. "A helpless female."

"And how is our precious customer doing on this lovely afternoon?" Politely asked Tamaki with hands behind his back, leaning forward a little.

"Nervous." Kyouya quickly answered. "But I see no reason not to continue with schedule."

"Perfect." The scariest, and most difficult girl in the entire school was subdued to go beyond her expectations all because of him. _You'll be my greatest project yet._ He couldn't help but be gratified. "As like they say on _MTV_, 'Are you ready to be Made?'"

The smile literally flew off of his face when Ren's heel launched up and jabbed him under the jaw. The next thing you saw was his body falling backwards. He hit the floor, and laid there without moving.

"Tamaki-kun!" Screamed the girls, hands over their mouths.

"Don't move the body!" The twins stood on either side of Tamaki. They squat down to get a better look at the damage. The dopy expression on his face told them he was seeing stars, but just in case they each took turns giving him a good slap on the face. He didn't yell out in pain. The twins looked up with wild smiles. "Knock out!" They exclaimed, and gave each other a high five.

"Is he alright?" Asked Hani, worried.

After checking his neck for a pulse, Kyouya stood up. "He might have trouble chewing for a week, but he'll be fine."

"I take back what I said yesterday! Going to the Ball was a very, very bad idea!" Admitted Ren, still hanging upside down behind Mori's back. "I wasn't thinking! I lack commonsense when under pressure!"

"You made a promise to us which strictly means you're going to follow through with it. And knocking us unconscious won't change that."

Ren shook her head, having trouble imagining her hours being spent in the Host Club. It was time to bring on the excuses. She hoped and prayed for the best.

"But I'll look like an idiot if I go to the ball."

"And why is that?"

"I have a disorder."

"Come again?"

"It's a common disorder found in teens these days. It's called: I can't dance-itis."

"That won't be a problem. We can teach you the basics."

"Did I mention dancing don't help the uncoordinated?"

Kyouya sighed, and pocket his pen while thinking her excuse could have been a bit more productive then the one she was throwing at him. He finally looked at her. "Are you trying to imply that you don't want to stuff your face with strawberries?"

Her tongue got tangled. "Um-"

"That's what I thought." Abruptly, he turned on his heels and walked across the room. "And can someone clean that mess up." He pointed at the unconscious Tamaki still laying on the floor.

She had lost to the beautiful creatures - Again! She let her head drop wearily, long hair falling over her shoulders, concealing her frown. For now, it would seem going home was a vain hope. "So much for trying," The defeat in her voice was clear.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

_BAM!_

"Grab her!"

_SLAP!_

"What do you think I'm doing?"

_CRASH!_

"KYAAAAAA!"

Mori blinked once, and then a second time. He had a hand in his pocket, staring at the yellow curtain swaying across his way without seeing it. The loud activity inside was tedious if not important to him, so he stood quietly in the same spot - so still, if it weren't for the eye blinking, one might mistaken him for a mannequin.

Not too far away sat Hani. But unlike his cousin, he didn't know how to mask his emotions with indifference. He was very excited, and he kicked his legs back and forth, and smacked his lips to the beat playing in his head to release some of that energy. Any minute now, Ren was going to walk out with a new hair style. The anticipation was slowly eating him up. After a few more of this, he found it difficult holding it in. He had to say something. His head snapped to Tamaki. "I can't wait to see Re'ni-chan!" He exclaimed a little louder then necessary.

Tamaki seemed anxious, tapping his foot on the floor. "We're in the same boat." Without thinking, he reached up to massage his chin, and winced when pain blazed under the band-aid. _'Oh yeah . . . I forgot.'_ The blow to his jaw was still tender. He groaned and checked the time on his watch instead. It was getting close to 3:30. "This is ridiculous! How long does it take to cut a few strands of hair? Eleven, twelve minutes?" He didn't give Hani a chance to respond. He marched straight up to the curtains. "How much longer?" He shouted over the noise.

"What?"

Tamaki made his voice louder. "I said, how much longer!"

"Strap her down, Kaoru!"

"I can't find the rope!"

"Use these handcuffs . . . Don't look at me like that, okay."

It was then Tamaki heard an odd sound; like something hard ran into the wall at full blast. He looked up, startled. Silence fell behind the curtains. He leaned forward. "Hikaru . . . Kaoru . . . " No response or a single sound was made on the other side. He gulped, feeling a surge of panic. Before he could peek inside, the curtain exploded outward and a hand struck Tamaki in the face. He was sent reeling backwards onto the floor, his nose searing in pain. Tamaki reached for his face and felt the warm blood running from his nose. Ren hurdled over him and hit the floor somewhere nearby.

"She's getting away!" Tamaki pointing in the wrong direction, he couldn't see. His vision blurred and he fell backwards again.

"Not if I can help it!" Hikaru popped out from behind the curtain and threw a hairbrush at her. His aim was perfect, hitting her on the back of her head. She toppled over.

Kyouya blinked, amazed. "Nice shot."

"This is too much." Haruhi turned around to face her senpai. "Isn't there some other way to deal with her struggling without treating her like a rag doll?"

Kyouya nodded his head. "Certainly." He held up a shot with a four-inch needle attached to it. "Are you familiar with anesthesia? This heavy dose is usually used on mental patients, but Miss Ichihara will be an exception."

Her eyes narrowed. "Forget I said anything."

"Very well." He grinned.

Low moans made Haruhi and Kyouya turn around. On the floor, Ren pushed herself to her knees with one hand, while the other rubbed the throbbing lump on her head. Blinking her eyes open, the dark spots blocking her vision were slowly fading. But then she wished they hadn't when she looked up, and saw -

"Gaaah!" She cried, covering her face. "It's too BRIGHT!"

_WACK!_

Her hands flew to her head where Hikaru smacked. "Ow!" She said, surprised.

"Stop using that as an excuse." The Hitachiin glared at her. "Now that I have your attention, quit your tantrums so I can kill that cat on your head."

"No." The three year old in Ren made her throw herself to the floor, letting Hikaru know that she refused to go anywhere with him. "Go away!"

There was a long sigh. And then suddenly something heavy crushed her against the floor. She gasped in shock - Hikaru sat on her back. Struggling by kicking and screaming, she cried at the top of her lungs - "What do you think you're doing? GET OFF OF-" The sentence was cut off when her mouth met the floor.

"I'm sorry, what was that you were saying?" Hikaru smirked, keeping her face down with a firm hand.

A rush of emotion pulsed through her body. She hated the fact that he had this level of power over her. A single touch from him sent her body into a state of disoriented frenzy. It was pathetic. More than pathetic, it was embarrassing.

Hikaru seemed to realize something. "Is that silence I hear?" He glanced down at her, amused. "Are you through being the biggest baby in school?" Ren grumbled something that made his mouth drop. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Another angry grumble. This time he released the hand he kept on her head.

"Get off of me," She said in a voice that was supposed to sound strong and demanding.

He rolled his eyes. "Only if you let me chop off that annoying hair of yours . . ." A pause. "Starting with those bangs."

"I happen to like my annoying hair. Especially my bangs." She admitted slowly, her mind had gone hazy.

"If you won't comply, then I won't comply." He shrugged. "Simple as that."

Ren couldn't hold it in any longer. She let her head fall, forehead hitting the floor first before blood squirt from her nose.

Hikaru looked bored. "She fainted."

"Oh ho ho ho ho!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up when they heard that all too familiar high-pitched laugh.

"And there before the fairy godmother was the dark maiden dressed in rags. Looking humble and dirty, under the starry night sky, it was clear that there was more to her then meets the eye."

Standing proudly on top of a motorized, spinning platform was a strikingly beautiful girl. Her hands were pressed firmly against her hips with her pointy nose high in the air. She smirked.

"Renge, what are you doing here?" Haruhi was very curious as to what would cause the spontaneous freshmen to reveal herself without an invite. It must have been important. Whatever the excuse, she had a feeling she was going to find out really soon.

The platform stopped spinning. "First things first." The girl leaped from the edge, and after two perfect front flips, she landed gracefully on the balls of her feet. Wasting no time, she strode swiftly up to a confused Hikaru and an unconscience Ren. Grabbing a handful of Ren's hair, she yanked her head up from the bloody floor. Even though she was still unconscious with bright red blood draining from her nose, that didn't stop Renge from flashing an eager smile. "Long black hair, depressing clothes, scary features . . . She's exactly as I imagined!"

Still sitting comfortably on Ren's back, Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Don't touch it. You don't know where it's been."

"Have you any idea who she is?" Renge pulled Ren's head higher when she emphasized that last word. "This is _the_ Dark Maiden. I've been looking for her all day!"

"Dark Maiden?" He repeated.

Ren finally came around. When her eyes fell on Renge, she struggled under the weight of Hikaru. "EEK! ANOTHER DAZZLING!"

"Are you Ren Ichihara?" Asked Renge, excitement practically screaming from every pore on her body.

Ren paused for a moment, thinking whether it was safe to answer. "Maybe," She finally said with a wary expression, voice guarded.

"Splendid!" Renge leaped to her feet, clapping her hands happily.

Ren began to feel her face and neck thawing under this new dazzling's light. "My skin is liquifying!" She cried and continued to squirm out from underneath Hikaru's butt.

"I'm Renge - the Host Club's manager." She bent her knees a little and gave a curtsy bow. Then, abruptly, stood upright. "It's a pleasure to finally come face to face with _the_ Dark Maiden of Ouran Academy. I come before you to lend a helpful hand about a problem in your life."

"I'd rather prefer you not to do that." Grumbled Ren, her voice coming in a low rush. "In fact, you should leave me alone for the rest of the year."

She began to giggle uncontrollably.

Ren could feel her brows pull together in mystification. "That wasn't supposed to amuse you."

"Forgive my fit of giggles," she tried to keep a straight face as she spoke. "I couldn't help but laugh about you not needing my help." She giggled a little more. "I happen to be professionally skilled in the field that involves your issue, so don't be silly. Besides, I willing took the initiative of making a theory. I promise you it's very accurate."

"Mind enlightening us what led you to help Miss Ichihara." Kyouya watched as her mood shifted suddenly; her eyes turning serious.

"If you must know," She walked over to a table decorated with fine tea cups imported from Italy and delectable fruit pastries. She sat down, and poured herself some hot tea. "Ever since I learned about her tragic story, I've been crying rivers of sympathy. Imagine a girl with a secret - an intense feeling of deep affection for one boy. She's been holding on to this secret for months because she's too shy to tell him. Imagine her in class with her head on cloud nine, escaping to her little world where it's alright to stare at him without anyone else knowing it."

"We understand how terrible it was." Interrupted Hikaru, annoyed with the spontaneous first year for delaying his mission to cut his designators hair. "There's no need to be so melodramatic."

She ignored him by taking a sip of tea, and then made a face at the bitter taste.

"Imagine she had somehow built up the courage to confront him." Renge began, dropping two cubes of sugar into her cup of tea. "She opened the door to her world, and confessed her love to the boy . . . yet he doesn't return the same feelings. He said no, and left her alone in the gloomiest and the most rainiest -"

"It wasn't raining on that day." Corrected Ren.

"So I made a slight change in the story, where's the harm in that?" Snapped Renge, frustrated that no one was giving her the chance to finish. "Now, her world had burned down at that second, but most importantly her heart was bruised. Oh! It just touched me." She tilted her head to one side and wrapped her arms across her chest, hugging herself. "But then last night after watching _She's All That_ and _Cinderella_ I decided to assist the dark maiden through the wonderful road of love!"

_Why does everyone want to help me all of a sudden?_ Ren thought, gritting her teeth.

"I think it's great you care to introduce love back into Ren's life." Tamaki was wiping the blood around his nose with a tissue. Luckily for him, it wasn't in any way broken or dented. When he was done, he tossed the bright red tissue away in the trashcan. "But how are you going to do that?"

"Oh ho ho ho!" She chuckled again with a hand blocking her mouth. "Never underestimate me. The truth is I don't really have to do much. It seems the turn of events have already begun."

"What do you mean?" Kyouya asked, though he hardly sounded interested.

She grinned. "You see . . . I have a theory that Ren will fall in love by the time The Winter Ball arrives, maybe sooner."

"Lo-ve?" Repeated Ren, as if she'd never heard that word in her life.

Hikaru scoffed. "Wanna hear _my_ theory?"

"No, thank you." Renge said abruptly.

"I'm still going to say it anyway." He told her. "You've been watching way too many love movies. Creepy-chan would rather waste away in that scary room of hers than to get involved with _love_."

"For once I have to agree with the dazzling creature." Admitted Ren, shoulders shrugging.

"Explain your theory, Renge?" Tamaki asked her anyway.

It took her more than a minute to finally turn away from glowering at the rude Hitachiin. After counting backwards from ten, and inhaling deeply though her nose, she was finally composed. "Everyone here is well known with literature, correct?" She watched as everyone nodded their heads. "Well, let me ask you another question. Why do you read literature?"

"For our own enjoyment." Responded Haruhi.

"To learn things!" Hani said.

"That's right," Renge said. "We all read literature for two reasons - pleasure and meaning. When you read only for pleasure, you usually don't care what the work means. You simply want to escape from the concerns of the day and let the work perform its magic on you. But books also need intellectual challenges that demand some thought, and those challenges enhance pleasure for most readers. So they continue to read to feed that pleasure. In truth, reading for pleasure and reading for meaning are related."

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say _huh_?" Clarified Kaoru.

"I understand that, and I promise it will all make sense at the end." Renge assured him. "Let's say, for instance, you're reading Isabella Swan, a fictional character from Stephenie Meyer's novel _Twilight_. As you eagerly turn the pages, you begin to discover details in this character you might not have noticed before; like the series of events she had to face to uncover Edward Cullen's dark secret - intense dialogue, suspense, intrigue, impossible fantasy, near death experience, true love. We notice her obsession for Edward, her non-stop mission to understand him, and her theories. Along the way you develop hunches of your own. That curiosity is your motivation that drives you to flip through the pages for more details to confirm your hunch. As you read more on Bella, you move from one level of enjoyment - reading to "escape" - to another - reading for meaning."

Tamaki nodded. "Okay."

"The pleasure of literature rests in the way authors use the effectiveness of literary elements like plot, theme, symbolism, irony, character, and imagery into their work. So, with that said, let's pretend for a moment that Ren's life is a book, and like in every book there is a plot. Events are arranged in logical order so that they form a sequence with a beginning, a middle, and an end."

"In the beginning, we read about Ren and understand different qualities about her - she's an outcast, fears anything and everything beautiful, dresses scary, and looks scary. Then a series of events are introduced in a predictable fashion, all related by cause. One event may cause another event, which in turn causes another event, which causes the next event. For example, you see Ren's taste in fashion needs work, and volunteer to make her pretty, however, she doesn't like the idea, and flees."

"These events lead to the middle of the story, preferably known as the climax, which is the most intense event of them all. This is where my theory comes in. At this point of suspense, for the very first time, the most prettiest boy in school will notice her and fall in love, though, Ren won't fully recognize her relationship with him. By the end of the story, she knows the truth and, from all appearances, will change as a result, in theory."

Haruhi was curious. "How do you know all of this?"

"What are you talking about, Haruhi-kun? I'm the best when it comes to seeing a person's true character! Oh ho ho ho ho!"

Hikaru didn't seem convinced. His eyes narrowed. "That's annoying,"

"I agree," said Ren.

"Oh my God!" Tamaki staggered back a few steps, staring at Renge with scared wide eyes.

"What's wrong, Senpai?" Asked Haruhi, alarmed.

"It's me! The pretty boy is me!" He put his arm over his eyes, and complained. "I knew being extremely good-looking would help me succeed in life, but I had no idea it would also make me a target for attracting Ren!"

"WHAAAAAAT!" Screamed the fangirls in the background.

"No, no, no." Renge shook her finger at him. "It can't be _you_. You're not original enough. It has to be someone that no one would expect."

Tamaki dipped his head to the side with a look of blank confusion. "Then who else could it be?"

The room fell silent.

"How about Hani-senpai?" Guessed Kaoru after ten minutes.

A mixture of shock and fear reshaped Mori's face.

Everyone turned slowly to the short third-year. He sat alone by a table. He was caught holding a spoon filled with blueberry and raspberry trifle inches from his already opened mouth with the look of surprise frozen on his cute face. And then his eyes flitted to Ren.

"Me?" He squeaked.

Renge observed the boy. "Hmmm, he is unexpected . . . " She trailed off, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Hikaru was so absorbed with this surprising news that he stood up and walked away from Ren without realizing it. Taking advantage of the moment, she quietly got up and tip-toe away. While on her way to the doors, she overheard an interesting conversation.

"Do you think Hani-senpai secretly loves Creepy-chan?" Asked Hikaru.

"I don't know." Kyouya wondered about the possibilities. "They're totally different."

"That can easily be fixed." Tamaki said. "Rest assured gentlemen, my Treatment Process is the key. I have a strong feeling about this."

"So what you mean is after she's prettified, Hani will like her?" Kaoru clarified. "It makes some sense."

Haruhi glared at them all. "Try putting yourselves in their shoes you guys."

Once hearing this, Ren knew now she might need to move out of the country for a while. She had always been fond of Alaska. Four years in the cold alps - far away from crowds, beautiful creatures, and the sun - in a warm, cozy cottage sounded more than welcoming to her. By then the host club would have long forgotten about making her into a lady. But, then again, it wasn't so much of a good idea. Her aunt wouldn't approve, and probably send the military to go capture her and drag her butt back. She sighed. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Ren settled with making her dear aunt happy. That was when she saw Hani. His mouth spread into a nervous frown. Apparently, he felt they weren't perfect for each other either. As she watched him, she recalled all of the kind things he had done for her.

_**- "Yayayay! We can help Re'ni-chan find her partner!" **_

_**- "Here, I'll help you up." **_

He had always been kind to her, trying his best to bring a smile to her face. Ren decided she could afford to be generous now.

_**- "What are we going to do with the left overs? . . . Throw them all away?"**_

Her eyes narrowed. '_Then again he did participate in bribing me . . .' _

She turned and continued towards the exit.

But she didn't get far.

Hani squeezed Bun Bun to his body. He slid the spoon into his mouth, chewed quickly, and then swallowed. He repeated this eight times more before realizing he had finished his cake. Panic settled in now that there was nothing distracting him anymore.

"Don't worry," Hani looked up and found Ren. She stood a careful distance away from him. "I only see you as a schoolmate, and nothing more." She kept her expression unreadable.

Though she made it sound a little cold, he understood her intentions were good, and smiled. Though, deep down, he did wish she would see him not as a schoolmate, but as a friend.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Came an eerie and unfamiliar voice. "Fresh meat, perhaps?"

From the corner of her eye she saw something yellow pop into view. Sitting on her shoulder was a puppet of a cat. The cone-like paws rubbed against each other. Ren fully turned around, eyes trailing up the long arm. Underneath the black hood and black bangs, his lips twisted up into a grin.

Renge's right ear twitched. She looked up from the table. When she saw the person next to Ren, she felt a spasm of excitement at the base of her spine. Abruptly, Renge stood, sending her chair skittering backwards, and placed her hands on her hips.

"He's perfect!" She announced firmly.

After following her intense gaze, Haruhi voiced her thoughts out loud. "You mean Nekozawa-senpai?"

"What?!" Shouted Tamaki, and Hikaru in unison.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

"But how?" Despite the fact no one could see Nekozawa's face because of that hood he wore, Tamaki still could not understand how the strange student had outranked him in looks. "He's nowhere near as good-looking as me!" Said the King with a huff.

"That's the funny thing about love," Renge sighed pleasantly, "It's unpredictable."

Hikaru stared at Nekozawa with a wary look. Just watching the two together made Renge's compatibility sound convincing. Ren falling head over heels for the Prince of Darkness, so to speak, could happen. He was sure they both took pleasure in doing unusual hobbies: watch _Salad-Fingers_ on Youtube, spend the whole day in total darkness, converse with _Chucky_ dolls. They were made for each other.

So then why was that bothering him?

"Where did you get that black cloak?" Ren asked, pointing at Nekozawa's person.

The president of the Black Magic Club towered over her head. "Do you really want to know?" He asked in an unnecessary whisper. The puppet swayed slowly in the air.

Ren nodded her head. "I do. Please tell me."

"You may get it for free if you promise us one thing in return." From behind Nekozawa, a girl side-stepped out into her sight. Ren had no idea who she was, but her style was very interesting; a few deep purple streaks in her dark honey hair that were pulled up into two pigtails, black eye shadow and eyeliner bringing out her green eyes which seemed to have mixes of blues and yellows, studs, a chocker with a silver cross, and a black messenger bag with a crescent moon on the front and clouds behind it in silver threading.

But something else absorbed most of her attention - it was her Ouran outfit. What was supposed to be yellow was dark purple instead. The over exaggerated collar remained white. The top was cut down the chest and converted into a jacket - the sleeps and shoulder pads were ripped off and replaced with black and white striped sleeves. She wore a pleated skirt, stopping at her mid-thigh, basically violating the dress code. However, the long black and white striped socks traveled up her leg, disappearing under the micro skirt

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Ren felt like a six year old again, begging her mother for a chocolate bar in a store. "Please, I really want to know."

For a moment, the new girl pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Well, judging by the enthusiastic energy-waves radiating out of you," a smile reshaped her porcelain face, "I'm going to tell you." Ren squealed happily. And then the girl said, "You must become a member of the Black Magic Club."

She opened her mouth, but before she could utter a response, Hikaru reached out and grabbed her arm. "Didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" He tugged her in the other direction, away from the two members of the Black Magic Club.

"WAIT!" Cried Ren, trying her best not to trip as he dragged her against her will. "I wanna be in their club!"

The Hitachiin froze in his place. She had taken him, and everyone else in the room, by surprise. It was extremely quiet in the room that you could actually hear the birds chirping outside. Finally, Nekozawa filled the silence with a simple request.

"Hisa-hime, pinch me." Without a second thought, the girl did as she was told. He yelped in pain while grabbing his arm. "Ha! So I'm not dreaming after all! Muwahahahaha!" His evil laugh sounded loud in the silence. "It's been years since anyone has joined my club."

"That's not true." Corrected Hisa with a small frown. "I became a member of your sinister and scary club last month."

"Oh, that's right." He remembered suddenly.

"I love sinister and scary!" Ren's reached out for Hisa. "Take me with you, please!"

"Why can't you understand that we have business to finish with you?" Hikaru was getting upset, frustrated with her. He tugged her forward, and she squeaked in surprise. "And I'm going to chop off those bangs of yours if it's the last thing I do!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Oh yeah?" Hikaru looked over his shoulder, and the tough expression was quickly wiped clean off his face when he saw Hisa's eyes flashing evilly behind him.

"I suggest you release the girl if you don't wish to get (BEEP!) with electric shock."

WILLPOWER!

His hand released Ren as if her skin had burned him, and he took several steps away from the girl with electricity flickering around her head. Ren's lips curved up into a wide smile of admiration. "Wow." _That girl had scared the beautiful creature with nothing but her words, amazing._

During this whole time Nekozawa felt like he had forgotten to do something very important. And then he remembered. "Oh! I just realized that I haven't learned your name yet." He gave a curtsy bow before Ren. "My name is Umehito Nekozawa, President of the Black Magic Club, but you may call me Nekozawa."

The girl twirled around to face Ren. "And I'm Hisa Umeke, the Black Magic Club's Vice-President. You may call me whatever as long as it sounds cool."

"Nice to meet you both." She bowed quickly, smiling a wide smile. "I'm Ren Ichihara, and thank you for letting me join your club."

He laughed darkly. "No, thank _you_."

A few ways behind her, Tamaki was freaking out. It was almost painful to know how easy it was for Nekozawa to get her into his nightmare-ish club with only the promise of a cloak, while he struggled for hours to _force_ her to accept being a host club designator. Scratch that. Even still he was having trouble. His eyes narrowed. Her selfish decisions were beginning to annoy him.

"As much as I dislike being the bearer of bad news," said Nekozawa smiling crookedly, "well, not really. I actually enjoy it very much. But our little meeting has to be cut short this time. Traditionally, there's a dark ritual we have as a celebration in tribute to our new club members, and it must be preformed on the same day they joined." He put his free hand on Ren's shoulder. For a second there, Hikaru thought he saw Nekosawa's fingers sliding down her back. He wanted so badly to hit Nekozawa's hand off of her shoulder and get in between the two. He was surprised at himself. He usually never felt possessive of anyone like this. Nekozawa continued. "So, if you don't mind, we're going to have fun with her tonight. She might even be a tad sore in the morning."

"No dirty joke intended." Gladly assured Hisa. "Our rituals consist of activities that are rated-G."

"Not so fast!" Tamaki stormed towards them, fist shaking in the air. "She can't go anywhere with you! She has an obligation to one very important deal that needs to be done _to-day_."

"I suppose we understand your crises, and we apologize for any inconvenience," Hisa paused to smile sheepishly. "but doesn't she have the right to decide what she wants?"

He stopped approaching. His words fumbled over each other as he tried to give a good excuse. "Er . . . w-well, members shouldn't . . . uhhh-"

"What Tamaki is trying to say is," said Kyouya as he approached the group dressed in black, "as a member of this club, if you don't have a dire excuse to leave then don't expect any rights at all, but only the right to be cooperative. That's the rule, anyway. Sorry." His lips curved into a gentle smile.

She stared back into his dark eyes and realized they did not match with his smile. They were intense, cold. He waited quietly for, she assumed, her to submit to his demand. But being the stubborn person that she was, she refused to give in so easily. Instead, she held up one finger. "Let me think about that." Insisted Hisa. His true face surfaced. The smile had melted, replaced with indifference. It was this that drove her to skim through her brain for an idea that can benefit both parties. She stared down at her hands, twisting and untwisting her fingers, as she spoke.

"Well, if this dispute cannot be resolved quickly . . . " She hesitated. "Then I have a suggestion. How about Ren stays with the Host Club for one hour, and then afterwards head down to the Black Magic Club for another hour for the rest of this week?" From underneath her black lashes, she glanced up at Kyouya. "That way she is shared equally among both parties and everyone is happy."

His brow creased angrily for a moment, then smoothed as his eyes took on an understanding look. "Very well, but on one condition. Instead of us having only one hour, let's make it two. We will need the extra time."

Hisa thought about his words before nodding her head. "Agreed."

"Mother, may I have a word with you?" It was Tamaki, and he sounded upset.

Which had no effect of Kyouya. He closed his eyes. "What is it this time, father?" Hisa watched with great interest.

"Two hours will not give us the appropriate amount of time to work on Ren." He explained, his voice getting higher after each spoken word - a note of frustration. "I demand a new plan. One that doesn't involve handing over our little patient."

"First, we are not handing her over, we are sharing her moment of time with The Black Magic Club." Kyouya kept his eyes closed, composed. "And second, I know what I'm doing. So don't worry."

The King was not convinced. "What is it that you are planning that will keep me from worrying?"

"_We work faster, obviously_." He enunciated each word slowly, as if he were talking to someone mentally handicapped. Tamaki blinked. "We best should start on Miss Ichihara while we still have her rather argue about my decision-making." With that said, he turned and walked passed Tamaki. "Time is ticking."

He hurried after his Vice-President and shouted, "Don't patronize me, Kyouya. I knew that. I was simply thinking out loud!"

Hisa stared at Kyouya's back without blinking. There was something mysterious about the way he talked, the way he walked, and the way he thought in contrast to the great President of the club. He had a lot of influence over him, and it absolutely fascinated her. "The Dark King . . . " She was surprised at how that name made shivers run down her back.

Nekozawa frowned at the new arrangements. "Two hours? Such a pity. I was looking forward to having you in my chambers a bit more earlier tonight, but I suppose I can't always have it my way." He looked at her adoringly. "Ichihara-hime, I'll be waiting for you." Then stepped back. He waved farewell as he disappeared behind the black gothic doors that, even today, no one knows how they come to exist in the Host Club. Hisa bowed and followed her creepy President. The doors slammed closed.

It was a jaw dropping moment for Ren. Just a few minutes ago she was certain things seemed to be looking up at last. The future she envisioned in her head was ten times more enjoyable, and completely dazzling free. First, she was supposed to walk out the front door of the Host Club while accompanied by a guy who looked like he dressed in tribute to Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars, and a girl with mind-blowing electric powers. Second, somewhere between the Hell Mouth and total darkness, a black cloak had her name written all over it in the bowels of the Black Magic Club.

But then of course the standard bad luck routine had to make a special appearance and crush her dreams in one, heartbreaking stomp - her plans had made a complete 180 degree turn.

"Kaoru. Hikaru." Tamaki called, raising one hand and gesturing towards Ren. "Please proceed where we left off."

She swallowed hard. Apparently everything was going down hill from here as far as she could tell, and that was never ever a good thing. Ever.

* * *

It was 6:45 in the evening, the latest she had ever gotten home. Ren wasn't surprised to be exhausted. Spending time with the Host Club always seemed to drain her. But she felt worse today prior to the others.

After three tiring days of trying to prettify Ren, Tamaki understood she needed professional help, so he didn't hesitate to call a hairstylist and a cosmetician who worked with super models and celebrities. You would think with their busy schedules they wouldn't have the time to make the long trip to work for only two hours. Surprisingly, they actually came.

A dour hairstylist had grabbed chucks of her hair and began to cut, pull, blow-dry, and brush, leaving her roots searing. At the same time, an Australian makeup artist who happily introduced herself as Billie rubbed, pinched, prodded, powered, and slathered her face. She had never realized getting her makeup done would be so hard. There were so many things - sometimes at the same time - she had to do so that Billie could do her job correctly. "Open wide. Wider. Look at the ceiling. Look at me. Don't blink. Pucker your lips. Rub your lips together. Look there. Look here. Look at the ceiling again."

Fifty minutes, and a migraine later, no one bothered to offer her a mirror when her transformation was complete; everyone was too busy staring. Ren could only imagine how she looked. When it was time to head down to the Black Magic Club, she did what she does best - she ran out of the Host Club without so much of a good-bye. She was very thankful to be given a cloak from her new friend Hisa, the girl with a badass mind power. Everyone was required to wear the cloak where so ever they went. She liked the Black Magic Club. On her first day, Ren participated in a ritual dance, made a little voodoo doll that looked similar to the dazzling Hitachiin, ate dozens of chocolate bars, and then left with a smile. She would look forward to the next meeting, or rather, "ceremony".

Now, finally alone, it was now or never. With a flick of her finger, she switched on the bathroom lights. This will be the first time since four years that she would look at herself in the mirror. Ren took a deep breath, trying to locate a backbone through the anxiety, and looked up. Her black eyes widen. The empty manor was filled with her scream.

They had cut off her dry hair, and blown out the frizz so that it hung, straight as an ebony curtain, down her back. Her bangs were cut short, dangling perfectly above her wide black eyes. Her pallid skin was clear, almost translucent-looking - pimples, and scales were nowhere in her sight. With shaky hands she felt her rosy cheeks. They were smooth under her touch. Her reflection staring back at her was . . .

"Different." She whispered, gingerly feeling the smooth skin on her face. Ren thought _pretty_ was too strong of a word to describe the girl staring back at her in the mirror. People said she wasn't pretty. So then she wasn't. And because of this, she could never think of herself as such. Different, or not-the-same-as-before both sounded like the right words. She pulled the hood over her head, and sulked out of the bathroom.

The perks about being a member of Nekozawa's dark and scary club was being able to choose from his huge collection of horror movies, for free. She fished out a DVD case from inside her cloak with the title _Raw_ on the gory cover. He had promised it was a bloodbath, the most scariest zombie movie of the year. She smiled. Nothing made her happy than a film with blood and gore.

In the television room, she slid the DVD inside the DVD player, and pressed play. The movie was exactly what Nekozawa said it'll be. In the opening credits, two people were running in a forest, and one of them suddenly got shot in the head - blood and chunks of pink brain sprayed everywhere. That was when she realized the two people running were zombies chasing a woman who looked to be in her early thirties and a man with blond hair. He had the shotgun. Ren giggled when the zombie attacked the woman, tearing her throat apart and fed viciously.

"No! Nooooo!" The man screamed, watching in horror as his partner got eaten away, too scared to aim and shoot. And then a zombie grabbed his head from behind and sunk its rotten teeth between the neck and shoulder. He died screaming.

"I guess I should think of this as a treat after the mess I've been through these past days, huh?" Ren turned and offered her best friend a cup of chocolate pudding. The Chucky doll said nothing, staring at the television with a murderous smirk. Sitting next to the doll was a voodoo doll that had an orange patch of hair on its wooden head (representing Hikaru Hitachiin).

The doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" She had an idea, but refused to imagine the possibilities of it coming true, and pushed it far to the back of her mind. It was too late for any of the beautiful creatures to be visiting her. She stood up, and made her way to the front doors while hoping it was the pizza delivery guy who had the wrong address.

There has never been a day Ren could picture herself fixing anything, so putting up a brand new set of french doors, without any help, came as a huge surprise to her. And she liked it. It made her wonder what else she could do around the house. Cooking sounded good to try out at the moment. So then it was set. She was going to start cooking tonight.

After walking through the lobby, she came to the doors, and paused with a hand on the knob. It would be very stupid of me to not ask who's on the other side of this door before opening it, she thought. Asking _who is it_ wasn't able to make it pass her lips when she spotted the spy hole. Ren stood on tip toe to peek through the small hole. Her breath got caught in her throat. The dark figure's hairdo looked too familiar. With trembling hands she slowly opened the door with wary. In the dark night, standing in front of her was one of the Hitachiin brothers. Under black lashes he glanced up at her, smiling. He held something in his hand, but Ren couldn't see. It was too dark.

"Good evening, Creepy-chan." He said softly, almost like he breathed the words.

She made a face. "Did you come all the way out here to tell me _good evening?"_

"Well . . ." he trailed on, taking a step towards her. Now under the light, she noticed his golden eyes reflected a mischievous glare. "Not exactly. You left so early today that I wasn't able to give this to you."

He lifted his hand, showing her what he was carrying. Ren's scowl was quickly replaced with amaze. "My book!" She squeaked, and snatched the paperback from the Hitachiin.

"Did you know Kyouya was planning on holding it hostage till after the Ball?" He asked, smiling angelically. But she missed it for she was too busy flipping through the pages, checking for any signs of her book being misused. From what she could tell, she saw none. Ren looked up at him. He was now leaning to the side with his left arm on the doorframe, appearing confident and absolutely relaxed.

"I had no idea." Ren watched the Hitachiin carefully, and then realized something that had not hit her the moment she opened the door.

"Aren't you lucky to have me then? Your knight in shining armor risked his position as a Host to save your precious book." Her glare was greeted with his perfect smirk.

"There are no such thing as knights. They exist only in fairy tales, along with princesses and pixie dust." She hugged the book against her chest, feeling the awkward silence fall heavy on her shoulders. She looked down at her two feet. "Why did you steal back my book if your job was at risk?"

Confusion flitted across his beautiful face. After a moment of silence, he chuckled. "Because it's yours, of course."

Maybe it was late, and maybe her body was too exhausted to even bother, but something was defiantly wrong with her. She felt . . . sane, in the most literal sense of the word. Her heart wasn't racing. The palms of her hands weren't pulsing with sweat. She was able to think coherently, and in front of Hikaru too. This had never happened before. Usually, she would be hyperventilating by now, but instead she was acting perfectly fine.

"Don't I get a thank you?" Her eyes flashed up to his. During the time she wondered how on earth she suddenly became immune to Hikaru's beautiful and Godly looks, he had shifted closer, towering over her head now. Ren didn't expect this and turned to move, but he slowly took her arm, holding her in place. His face was inches away from hers. "Or anything at all?" He added in a low, husky whisper.

Even though he had invaded her space, and touched her skin, surprisingly enough, he had no effect on her. Had she subconsciously shut down all of those strange feelings once in for all? She stared deep into his liquid golden eyes, searching for the answer. And at that moment, she finally knew why.

"What are you doing, Kaoru?"

His eyes widen. He yanked his hand back, as if her skin electrocuted him, and took several steps away from her. "How did you know?" He asked, shock overpowering every other emotion on his face.

Ren stared at his stricken form on her aunt's porch. He tried to trick her into thinking he was Hikaru, the devious, dazzling creature. She thought the only one who should be asking the questions here should be her. Not him. Her reasons were personal. He didn't need to know them.

"Thank you for returning my book." Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Goodnight."

The door closed.

The tittering of the night creatures filled the quiet. The plan was to make her believe he was Hikaru, and play with her emotions till she spills how she felt about his brother. Obviously, it failed.

_She knew. She knew all along._ Kaoru didn't see it coming. How could she tell him apart from his brother? No one except Haruhi was capable of such a difficult ability. For years the Hitachiin brothers had never been seen as separate persons. No one bothered to truly get to know them. Everyone just figured since they were alike in looks, then they must be alike in personalities. They were wrong. Hiikaru was older, meaner, and had an impulsive nature, while he was younger, less likely to snap with rage, and considered second options as lifesavers. But here came along Ren Ichihara, the girl who didn't need to be corrected, who naturally knew his brother.

Taking a step back, Kaoru turned from the door and walked down the porch steps in silence. He won't sleep comfortably tonight.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere between the Fourth Floor and Second Floor of Ouran Academy, a private meeting was getting ready to begin.

"I, Kazumai Saito, call this meeting to order on December 12, at eight o'clock PM." The student sat upright, chin in the air. She looked over the room with a haughty eye. "For this meeting, I'll be skipping attendance. But before I begin, are there any special reports from Offerings Chair?"

A girl with her hair done in pigtails stood from her chair. She wore a white polo with huge pink letters that read _The Host Club_'_s Elite Association _across her chest. "We were told by Hani-senpai that he enjoyed the blueberry and raspberry trifle that was given to him. He said, and I quote, 'Thank you, so, so, so much. I love it!'" Everyone clapped. She smiled, and took a seat.

"Excellent. I'm pleased to hear this." Kazumai stopped talking to look over the outline she had created specifically for this meeting, but found it very difficult to concentrate. She didn't have the strength anymore to restrain herself from losing control over her temper. Both hands came down on the table. The girls gasped, leaning back in their chairs. She looked up then, green eyes tight.

"The reason for this emergency meeting is because I have just received shocking news from the Vice-President of the Host Club." She paused to make sure everyone was listening. They were. "There has been a sudden change. The Host Club is no longer open for five hours after school. Instead, they reduced it to two." A commotion broke out in the room. Kazumai silenced her concerned members with a whistle. "I understand you're upset. So am I. But this does not mean our passion for the Host Club will come to an end."

Everyone began to ask questions, each one overlapping the next, making it hard for Kazumai to understand what they were shouting at her. Finally she settled her anxious members by using her whistle and ordered everyone to raise their hands. About thirty hands flew up at the same time. Kazumai pointed at a girl in the front row, giving her permission to speak.

"What made the Host Club decide on this, Senpai?" The girls of the H.C.E.A nodded their heads, and their resounding agreements to her request filled the room.

Kazumai flipped her straight, blond hair over her shoulder. "The information was not given to me up front, so I did some snooping around earlier today." When she pressed a button on her Macintosh laptop, the lights dimmed in the room, and a white screen automatically lowered itself behind her. "And this is what I found." After she finished saying that, the video started. The camera carefully slid between an open door, wavering. And through that door were the members of the Host Club.

The video blurred before becoming focused, sharper. Then the girls saw Tamaki on the phone, his head nodding, and his hand gesturing in the air as he spoke. His lips were moving, but no one could hear what he was saying because someone, a girl, was shouting and screaming to be released. The twins had their backs to the camera, busy tying rope around someone who couldn't be seen. Kyouya watched the twins work in dull interest. The shouting suddenly stopped.

"Alas! It is true what they say!" The camera abruptly turned. Tamaki sauntered towards the twins with arms spread out like he was going to hug them. He smiled pleasantly at their blank looks. "Every cloud does have a silver lining."

"You got a hold of Britney Spears's make-up artist?" Haruhi took a sip of water from her bottle. The only answer she received was a big smile spreading across his handsome face.

Kyouya folded his arms, crossing them against his chest. "How did you manage that?"

Tamaki laughed, smug. "When you're me, anything is manageable. Surely you should have known this by now, Kyouya." The future doctor glared behind his glasses. Tamaki laughed again.

There was a heavy sigh. It was Hikaru. "This plan of yours better work. I don't know how much longer I can stand the chasing around and the stupid screaming." He finally made the knot, and stood up at once, putting his hands on his hips. "I'd rather do homework then do this."

"_I second that_." Groaned Kaoru. He let his body fall back out of the squat position, landing gently on his behind, and then he stretched - his back arched, his long arms straight up into fists, his eyes squeezed shut for a moment and then opened. He turned to Tamaki, face tired with a hint of frustration in his eyes. "Besides, what makes you so sure that she will be ready in time? It's happening next week, and she looks like the same plain girl who first walked into our club two months ago."

With the twins out of the way, the person was revealed. Ren Ichihara was tied to a chair with duck tape covering her mouth. Who could forget her, or rather, forget her scary trend? Some girls in the room began to whisper to each other, saying things like: Why was she tied up in the Host Club? And what plan? The room quickly fell silent when Tamaki started to talk again.

"Enough with the worrying. You're giving me wrinkles." The twins grimaced at the exact same time. Tamaki sniffed. "Everything will go perfect. This lady's work is amazing. If she can fix Mrs. Spears then she can fix Ren. Trust me, she will become a beautiful and respectful lady by the time the Winter Ball arrives." He assured with such confidence it made a couple of girls sigh in content, while the other half were too surprised by the news to even notice how much more handsome his face looked in close up mode.

The video paused, and the lights in the room brightened.

"Do you see now? Do you see why the Host Club has established such rules?" Kazumai's voice was rising, outraged, and she pointed an accusing finger at the screen currently paused on Ren. "They are doing this because of her! That needy wrench has stolen our Romeos!"

"Yeah!" One girl stood up suddenly. "I bet she's faking to be ugly and scary just to get the Host Club to believe she needs help to be normal. Seriously, how hard can it be?"

"It's not rocket science!"

"Ugh! I don't like her!"

"But what can we do to stop this from happening?" Pleaded a girl in the back.

Kuzumai slammed her left hand on the table again. "We threaten her. And I mean scare the living darkness out of her. Get her so scared, she'll never think about setting one foot in the Host Club ever again so long as I'm president of this club!" Everyone cheered in the room. She gave a dark smirk. "And this is how we're going to do it."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"_Let me light up the sky, light it up for you. _

_Let me make this mine, I'll ignite for you."_

_-Yellowcard: Light Up The Sky_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

"_The pain_," Ren groaned, sweat dripped from her chin. She leaned against a wall, breathing heavy with exhaustion. Without the curtain of bangs her pale face was exposed to the sunlight, and even though it was all in her head, the light burned her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, and hot pink blazed behind her eyelids.

A low grumble from her stomach grabbed her attention. She dug into her back pocket. The smallest of smiles pulled at her lips when she found her coin purse. She shook the purse next to her ear, listening to the clanking of change inside. "Just enough for lunch," Ren said, breathless. But before tending to her stomach she had to do something first: find the dazzling creature, Hikaru. Ugh.

It all began earlier that day. Tamaki expected to continue teaching Ren how to dance the waltz, but as he and the rest of the group watched time fly, it occurred to them the training was not going to happen. Rather than appearing at the Host Club like Kyouya instructed her last week, she played hooky and went straight to the Black Magic Club for some quality time with people who appreciated the realm of darkness as much as she did. Watching Kanazuki use tarot cards to read Hisa's fortune, Ren forgot all about the Host Club - that was until Nekozawa received a surprising phone call. It was Hikaru, and how he knew she was with Nekozawa, and his number, was beyond her.

He wanted to get together at _Java Joe's_ to finish their Biology project: the structure of a DNA helix. She accepted his arrangements and hung up quickly because as soon as she did blood had gushed from her nose. Even through the phone he had the power to give her a nosebleed. Could she feel anymore pathetic? Besides that, something about his phone call made Ren nervous. One, when she answered he didn't yell unprintable words at her for abandoning her responsibilities at the Host Club. His voice sounded calm, and a bit husky (note: reason for the massive nosebleed). And two, why would he want to complete a project that wasn't due till next month? He was in class when Sensei Arisu announced it to everyone, and he couldn't have forgotten for the reason that he wouldn't shut up about it that whole day.

For now she decided not to worry too much. It would only be a matter of time until she learned his motives. Which didn't seem too far away.

As she stood on the sidewalk the thought of being alone with Hikaru at a public place made it impossible for her to stay calm. In fact, she was already hyperventilating. Ren pulled up the black hood over her head. It covered half of her face, allowing only her mouth to be seen.

"This better be worth it." She grumbled, annoyed. "Beautiful is bad for my health."

That was when a stray dog popped his head out from behind some trash cans that stood against a building to her left. When the dog spotted Ren, he stopped panting. She stared without breathing. With pointy ears pressed flat on his head, the dog bared his fangs at her, growling viciously.

"Bad dog! Bad dog!" She shouted, and took of running down the street. The dog chased after her, barking all the way.

It took her longer than necessary to reach the coffee shop. But when she finally did, she took in a deep breath and stepped inside. The rich scent of fresh coffee rushed to her face. Ren wrinkled her nose, she wasn't a huge fan of coffee. The song _Umbrellas and Elephants _by Cinematic Sunrise was playing, giving the café an almost pleasant atmosphere, too bad the butterflies fluttering in her stomach prevented her from calming down.

_Java Joe's_ wasn't too crowded for a Monday evening. In total there were only five customers. An austere looking man in a black business suit was ordering a latte, waiting behind him a girl talked away on her cell phone - she threw her head back and laughed. To Ren's left a young couple sat in front of a laptop. Her wandering eyes stopped at a boy by the window, and her mouth slightly hung. Hikaru was waiting for her. And though his golden eyes were gazing out the window, her heart pounded excitedly behind her rib cage. He looked so beautiful, more beautiful than any other person in the room, maybe even the world.

Ren lowered her head. With shaky knees, she tread lightly so as not to catch his attention. Her attempt had failed when she accidently bumped into someone - it was the man in the black suit - knocking over the two cups of hot coffee in his hands. Everything crashed to the floor. _Splash!_

"My _coffee_!"

The sound made Hikaru turn away from the window. He wasn't surprised to see Ren was responsible for the commotion. Well, who else in the right mind would wear a black cloak, looking more like a beggar from the streets, he thought to himself. She apologized softly before kneeling down to pick up the cups from the floor. The color from the man's face drained. He begged her not to hurt him and ran out the coffee shop, screaming something about a ghost girl. From under her hood, Hikaru caught her sneaking a glance at him. Quickly she lowered her head, blushing. His face lacked emotion as he watched Ren stumble towards him.

Her eyes were on the floor, staring intently at the tiny black and white tiles, checkerboard design. She couldn't bring herself to look at him directly in the eye after her embarrassing incident. It was times like these Ren wished she wasn't so clumsy to the point of being disabled. When she reached his table, she stood behind the chair across from him, unsure.

"If you were looking to audition for the lead role in _Phantom of the Opera_," Hikaru slowly checked out her measurements, starting from her legs all the way to her face, well, that is if it wasn't hidden behind her silly hood, "then you're in the wrong place. This is a coffee shop. Not an auditorium."

Though her mouth was the only part not covered from the hood, he could tell her eyes narrowed. "It's nice to know you haven't forgotten how to be a jerk during the weekend." She said in a tiny voice.

The title amused him. A twisted smile broke through the emotionless mask he wore. Besides Kaoru, that was the first time anyone had called him a jerk. He lounged back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. "If you don't like hearing my honesty then you should have left that hideous thing in the back of your closet where it belongs." The smirk melted into a frown, and he continued in a rough voice. "Though I highly recommend you burn it."

"Of course you would," She scowled. "Anything to have my skin shrivel up to a prune."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He hardly sounded apologetic. "I forget how my attractive face can burn holes into your skin like a lit cigarette pressed against paper. And that's exactly what you are, flimsy paper."

"What's with the verbal attacks?" She asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He lifted the paper cup off the table, and took a sip of coffee.

She didn't move an inch as she stared at him for a moment, pondering reasons for his oversensitive attitude. She thought back if she had done him wrong. Her eyes widen in understanding. "I get it now." His liquid topaz eyes glanced at her over the coffee lid. "You're upset because I ditched dancing lessons for the Black Magic Club."

He swallowed before setting the cup down on the table. "No, but that's half of it." He raised one hand and motioned her to join him.

Ren sat down automatically, watching him with caution. He still had a blank expression. It was hard to believe someone with a face of an angel could be as cruel as a demon.

"Who is that for?" She asked, noticing another cup on the table for the first time. Unlike the one Hikaru drank from, this cup was made of clear plastic with pink contents inside - a cold refreshment.

"It's for you. I bought it," he said, pushing the cup towards her.

From the other side of the room, the workers behind the counter gazed at the two in amazement as they sat across from each other. Hikaru seemed oblivious.

Ren ignored the generous offer. She quickly reminded him of their argument.

"Then . . ." She hesitated, wondering why it annoyed her not knowing what she did that irritated him, and tried again. "Then what's really bothering you?"

"The thing is," he paused, staring at her. Then he sighed in frustration. "I can't talk to you seriously with that ridiculous thing covering your face. You remind me too much of Nekozawa."

"I'm not taking it off." She desperately held onto the hood in case he made a surprise attack.

"_Fine then,_" he said unkindly, eyes narrowed. Hikaru had his large white hands folded under his chin. "I can't stand how you spend your whole life avoiding your problems."

_Well that was remarkably straightforward._ Her face crumbled. "What do you mean?"

"Going to the Black Magic Club because you hate the Host Club" - he glared at her as he spoke - "not trying to learn the waltz or anything that we teach you because you don't like them. As far as I could tell, you're just running away from everything."

Ren looked down, and didn't say anything for a moment. "Is that what you think?"

"Yes, I really think that." He said without hesitation. "Let me give you some advice. Stop running away. Learn how to dance. Learn how to be more like a normal girl. Face everything in life with the confidence of overcoming them. It never hurts to try."

She kept her eyes on the table, hands fidgeting nervously with the ends of her hair that piled in her lap. Exactly what was she running away from? She didn't know any problem in her life, or maybe she didn't want to know. Either way she couldn't recall the memory. Have come to decide she must have had a very good reason not to remember, she didn't bother in trying to unearth it. Slowly Ren looked up at him. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

"Care to know what I think?" She muttered.

He sighed. "For once in my life, yes."

"I think," she said, "perhaps you should focus on yourself. You need to work on your dancing too."

His body froze, looking appalled and confused. "What?"

"Last friday," she reminded, "you kept twirling your partner twice during the final chorus. Its supposed to be three times."

For the first time in front of her, Hikaru blushed. "My arms were tired after practicing for an hour. What's _your_ excuse?"

She shrugged. "I don't like to dance."

"And neither do I." He paused to think, and then a sly smirk grew on his face. "Might I suggest something to keep things interesting?"

Ren didn't like how that sounded.

He threw his hand up, and with his index finger he pointed at her bewildered person across the table. "I challenge you to a game. Let's see who can perform the waltz better than the other before The Winter Ball."

She stared at him for a moment. "I'm pretty sure you would win." She admitted matter-of-factly.

Expecting him to jump up and rejoice, Ren was surprised to see his expression had turned into a hard glare. He slowly sat back in his chair without removing his narrowed eyes off hers. "Why do you still refuse to realize that you can't say no to something without trying it first?"

"Well, look at me," She said, and thought it was unnecessary since he was already staring. "I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to fashion and things ordinary girls should love doing. I hate cosmetics. I hate shopping. So tell me, why should I try to become someone that I'm clearly not?"

"Because you once did all of those things religiously." Hikaru reminded. "Before you turned into Creepy-chan, didn't you enjoy putting on make-up before leaving your house and go to the mall with your friends? I think you're just being stubborn."

"No!" She gasped, heat flooding to her face all the way to her hairline. "You don't know what you're talking about. I realized that lifestyle wasn't for me. My fate is to be a dark creature, and I'm happy now. I don't need to worry how I look anymore. I'd rather be ugly and happy then pretty and stressed."

He wasn't convinced. "Then remove that cloak, and let everyone see how content you are with yourself."

She stared in surprise.

"Go ahead. I'm waiting." He pressed.

She looked down. "No."

"What was that?" He asked even though he heard her clearly. Ren didn't say anything, still staring at the table. The silence didn't please him one bit. "I thought you said you were happy with the way you look? That is what you said, right?"

"Don't patronize me," she mumbled under her breath. "I don't need to prove myself to you, or anyone else."

But before he could utter a single response . . .

"Oh my gingerbread, it's Hikaru-kun from Ouran Academy!"

"No way! Where?"

"Hikaru-kuuuuuun!"

In a matter of seconds squealing girls swarmed outside the tiny coffee shop. They called out his name, and pressed up against the windows, fogging them with their heavy breathing. Hikaru was taken by surprise, amazed at the large number. Did the Host Club really have that many admirers? Half of the group didn't even attend Ouran, wearing uniforms from several different public schools.

Across the table Ren tugged at her hood to hide her face, keeping her head down. Her flushed cheeks turned a deeper shade of red when she thought of how humiliating it would be if everyone knew she was drinking coffee with one of the members of the Host Club, like a classic date from some romantic-teen movie. _But we're not dating. I don't _do_ dating._ _I knew I should have listened to my gut and stayed at the Black Magic Club._ _Curse my natural curiosity._

"Hey, who's that person Hikaru-kun is sitting with?"

Ren's breath got caught in her throat as she listened.

"It looks like a homeless lady?"

"How sweet, he's helping the needy."

Everyone awed in unison.

She gave a sigh of great relief. Thank goodness for ignorance.

Seeing how Ren panicked at the sight of the screaming crowd outside made him wonder if she was absolutely mortified of them. But why would she be, he thought, she hadn't done anything wrong to feel so frightened. His brooding came to an abrupt stop when he saw her make a move to stand up.

"Where do you think you're going?" His expression was grave, captivating, but grave.

"There are too many people here. If they find out it's me you're with-" she stopped herself from continuing, and shook her head. "I need to leave."

"Wait," He scrutinized her face, staring, searching for an answer that will help him understand the fear he saw in her eyes. Ren gripped her seat for support. It was then realization brightened his face. Without removing his eyes from hers, he reached up and drew the curtains. The sea of excited faces was suddenly hidden behind a scarlet screen. There was a long sigh of protest outside.

"Do you truly believe you're not good enough to be seen with me?" he murmured, leaning closer to her as he spoke, his eyes piercing.

Ren couldn't remember how to exhale. She had to look away before it came back to her.

"A dark creature is never good enough."

She kept her eyes on the curtain. Time went by them in silence, ticking away. Ren stubbornly refused to be the first to break it this time, fighting hard against the temptation to peek at his alluring expression. Instead she lifted the plastic cup to her mouth and drank the contents through a straw. Her eyes opened wide with surprise. Strawberry flavor.

Finally he spoke, voice velvet soft. "You're wrong."

Almost spitting out the contents in her mouth, Ren quickly swallowed it down in one gulp. She glanced up to see that his eyes were gentle. "What?" She asked, surprised. Maybe she heard differently because it couldn't have been what she thought he said.

He reached across the table and touched her hand. "You're wrong." He repeated, his voice almost inaudible.

She couldn't move her body, or think clearly, or take her eyes off his hand for that matter. He was touching _her_. His large hand was over _her_ hand. It began in her legs, than traveled up her waist, than to her shoulders, pretty soon her whole body was trembling.

Hikaru watched her fall back on the floor, blood spurting into the air. Have already grown accustomed to her massive nosebleeds, he sighed dully and drank from his coffee cup. A woman who worked there at the café rushed over and asked him if his friend needed to be taken to the hospital. Hikaru casually said that would be unnecessary since she would be waking up soon. And he was right.

Her eyes stirred behind her eyelids before slowly opening. Awkwardly she hauled herself into a sitting position, and immediately felt her whole body ache, especially a certain area behind her head. "Please, God, enough with the nosebleeds. I can't take them anymore." She mumbled, rubbing the back of her head in a circular motion. Fainting on a chair was not such a smart thing to do and she made a mental note to never do it again - for the sake of her sensitive head.

"I think that's solely up to you. Not the Big Guy upstairs." Hikaru took another sip of coffee.

"Eep!" She shrieked and shuffled away from him on the floor. "You stay away from me!"

He gave a snort of annoyance. "What did I do this time?"

"You violated my personal space." Her cheeks flushed. Carefully bringing herself to her feet, she took a seat at the next table, keeping a good distance between them. With eyes glaring, she said - "We will complete the project on different tables."

He laughed and stood up with his coffee cup. At first she thought he was going to sit down with her, but instead he walked right by her table.

"Wait!" Twisting around in her chair, Ren asked, "What about the project? You said we were going to work on it."

Hikaru stopped. He looked back at her with a grin. "I lied." Then walked away and out the café.

"Such a devious creature," She stared at him through the window until he was gone.

Her stomach growled in hunger, reminding her of its emptiness. She decided to purchase something from _Java Joe's_ since she was already there. She approached the counter and ordered a slice of Pumpkin Bread.

* * *

It was getting dark. Clouds piled up in the sky, and the smell of rain was in the air, telltale signs of a storm brewing. Ren finished the remains of her Pumpkin Bread and wiped her hands free from crumbs on the cloak. She meandered through the streets of downtown, hopefully heading towards a bus stop. She wasn't paying as much attention like she should to where she was going; like always her mind was wrapped up around the Hitachiin. Oh, but she was trying so hard not to think about him, and about what he had said . . .

_**- "Do you truly believe you're not good enough to be seen with me?"**_

_**- "You're wrong."**_

. . . and more than anything trying to shut out the lingering warmth that still tingled in her left hand. The effort was a waste when she overheard a group of girls gossiping over a text message they received about one of the members of the Ouran Host Club being in town, and it all came crashing down on her. Stupid, dazzling creature, she thought to herself, storming along in a southerly direction towards a blue sign that looked promising. But when she got to it she saw a symbol of a bicycle rather than a bus like she had expected. The sign was meant for the drivers to refrain from getting on the bikers lane. Taking in a couple of deep breaths, she continued around the corner.

It wasn't until crossing another road that made her realize she was going in the wrong direction. The buildings in the area were mostly warehouses and abandon stores. The road also lacked pedestrians, completely empty. She decided to turn west at the next corner and try her luck on a different street. The bus stop had to be somewhere.

The sky suddenly darkened, and she looked over her shoulder at the offending cloud heavy with water. It was then she realized with a shock that she wasn't alone. Two men were walking quietly thirty feet behind her. And they were staring at her. She turned her head forward at once, trying not to panic, and quickened her pace. They're not following me, she fruitlessly convinced herself as she continued to walk fast, focusing on the left-hand turn that was a couple of feet away.

Thunder mumbled, slowly rolling across the dark sky. Breathe, she had to remind herself. It seemed to take forever for her to get to the corner. Ren kept her pace steady, concentrating on the footfalls behind her, they sounded faint and seemed to be falling further behind with every step. She risked a quick glance over her shoulder, and found the road was deserted. Her legs automatically came to a stop. Where did they go?

So then they weren't following her after all? It was all in her head. She exhaled in relief, and started moving again. There would be more people once she got around and a bus stop too, she was sure of this. Ren skipped around the corner with a hopeful look on her face. And froze dead on the sidewalk. Not only was there no sign of a bus stop in sight but also the road had led her to the back of a building with two large doors for unloading trucks.

"Hey!" A booming voice from behind her shattered the intense quiet and made her jump. Before she could hurry down the street a hand shoved her forward. The force made her loose her balance and she fell to the floor on her hands and knees. "Why are you running away? We just got here."

From under her hood she saw the two men from before, and realized they weren't too many years older than she was. The thickest of the two had dark hair, and a long scar ran across his lip. The second boy was short, perhaps a full inch taller than she was, but held an intimidating expression that made up for his height. They were dressed in the colors of Gesshoku public high school, blue shirt with black slacks.

One of them, the one with the scar, took half a step towards her. "I was told you looked like that girl from _The Ring." _He seemed disgusted, curling his scared lip up as he stared at her like she was a street rat. "But I have to disagree. You look uglier."

"I'm in no mood for your insults." She said in a strong voice, glaring down the one who had spoken. "I just want to go home."

"No, you see, that's not gonna' happen." The shortest boy showed Ren the baseball bat he was hiding behind his back. "I don't think it's right for you to be terrorizing the students in Ouran Academy. Who do you think you are?"

To tallest boy punched his fist into his other hand. "When we're done with you, we're gonna' lock you up in one of these buildings, in a dark room where no one can find you or hear your screams."

Ren recognized the two Gesshoku boys mode of thinking. People run away after seeing her face, the most common reaction, but on rare occasions she got her share of experience from people who used violence to deal with their fear. And she already knew what to do in these situations.

"It's the perfect plan." The one with the bat chuckled darkly. "Ugly girls should die alone."

Her eyes flashed red. She took a stand, and braced herself, feet apart. As she watched them slowly approach her, the same small pessimistic voice in her mind spoke up then, reminding her that she probably wouldn't stand a chance against any of them. No! The voice was beaten down as quickly as it had surfaced. She wasn't going down without taking someone with her.

"Get away from her!" A voice commanded loudly.

The boys turned around.

Ren stared in amazement. Out of all the people in the small town, she least expected to see him coming to her rescue.

"Stay out of this, rich boy. It doesn't concern you."

"Yeah, go play with mommy and daddy's money."

"For the last time," Hikaru warned, his tone livid. "Get away from her."

They looked at him in disgust for a moment before one of them turned and punched Ren in the gut. The hard blow caught her by surprise and she fell to her knees. She gasped for air, holding her stomach in her hands.

"Creepy-chan!" Hikaru's vision went white. The hands at his sides trembled with anger.

"Like we're gonna' take orders from you." Sneered the tallest boy. "We're Yakuza, punk. Now back off. This is strictly just business."

"_Business?_" Growled Hikaru through clenched teeth, barely holding what self-control he had left from running over there and choking the life out of them. "You call beating up a girl _business_?"

They chortled at his anger.

Hikaru's eyes narrowed. How was physically hurting a person, let alone a girl, considered business? Hikaru's expression changed from angry to murderously furious. He threw his cup of coffee on the street floor, silently telling them that he wasn't going anywhere. They understood and slowly advanced.

The sound of fighting grabbed Ren's attention from her stomach, and she hauled her head up, blinking a red mist of pain out of her eyes. She watched Hikaru avoid each of the boy's attacks with the grace and swiftness of an experienced fighter. The moment he sensed their exhaustion he gathered enough strength to bring them both down one by one, howling in pain. Ren was taken by surprise - where had such power come from in that lanky body of his?

Hikaru stood victoriously, chin in the air, nostrils flared, glaring hard at the two Yakuza. Some common sense settled in and the boys dashed across the street, retreating around the building corner. Ren pictured them like dogs with their tails between their legs.

There was a sudden clash of thunder. The dark cloud above couldn't hold the rain anymore and tore open, spilling its cold contents over the town.

While it poured Hikaru looked back at Ren still on the ground with hands over her stomach, and held her gaze. She found herself yearning to look away, but she could not. There was no more strength within her this time, and so she surrendered to those deep ambers that burned straight through her skin, as if he were looking into her very soul.

He was right after all, she was like flimsy paper. And he was like fire that blazed beautifully against the darkness in her world, a lit candle slowly growing stronger.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_"'Cause she's just the way she is,_

_but no ones told her that's okay"_

_ -Jon McLaughlin_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

The rain began to pour heavily now, and neither one made a move to find shelter. They stared at each other in the damp, dim light. The thunder mumbled as it moved across the sky. The rain plastered his clothes to his body, making them heavy. His usually well-taken care of hair was pressed flat against his skull. He was soaked to the skin. Not important. He was freezing and miserable. Not important. He lost the feeling in his fingers five minutes ago, but even so he paid no attention to that either.

Trying to keep his temper from getting the best of him was one thing, and blocking the nonchalant voices in his head that whispered to abandon the situation and walk away was another. Hikaru focused on ignoring the voices, knowing they would stop all together, because his temper was nowhere from burning out. As for right now, his shoes were anchored to the ground. He wasn't going anywhere - not without an explanation from her at the very least.

Across from where he stood, about ten feet away, Ren could feel the cool heavy wetness weigh her down as she stared up at him. She kept blinking so that the water wouldn't fill up her eyes. She noticed the devious smirk he wore everyday was nowhere seen on this new face of his. He looked different. It wasn't his clothes or his hair, skin or shoes. It was his eyes. They stood out from everything else on his soaked form. A deep gold, the darkest she had ever seen them. She studied his flawless features a little longer until it occurred to her that his expression was furious.

_Why are you angry with me? _

Hundreds of answers rambled inside her head as she slowly rose to her feet. She rolled each answer carefully, cautiously, in her hands - weighing them out for sureness. The problem was she didn't know which one to pick. It was difficult to choose when his expression confused her. He had always gotten upset for almost everything she did; however, he had never been _furious_ with her.

_Your face - why? Why do you hate me so much?_

She felt like she was drowning in quicksand - too confused to break through the mud and rise with an understanding. She surprised herself. Usually she wouldn't go through the trouble in trying to understand why someone hated her. Since four years ago, and still today, most people have always disliked her while the other half feared her. Everyday they always had something new to say, like she was a _dark plague on society_, or a _creature the world could live without._ Those words once bothered her, lower her self-esteem below zero - hitting the negatives - until one night in middle school she realized there was nothing she could do to change how people thought of her. Instead, she settled with accepting their mistreatments.

She thought, who would like to see a dark creature in the clear light of day, sending waves upon waves of ghostly chills down your spine whenever you looked their way? Obviously no one. Unfortunately for everyone, she had to attend school. Things started making sense for Ren after that. The depression and tears had stopped, and she started to live again.

But then when she walked into _Java Joe's_, the Hitachiin screwed up her mind by touching her hand and telling her that she was good enough to be with him. Wait, what?

Pause. Rewind. And Play.

_**- "Do you truly believe you're not good enough to be seen with me?"**_

_**- "A dark creature is never good enough."**_

_**- "You're wrong."**_

_GAAH! But that's not how it supposed to be, _she whined and stomped her feet childishly in her head. Since the dawn of mankind everyone knew a beautiful creature was born to despise the creepy dark creature because it was different, ugly, and unwanted in society; not do the exact opposite. When did the rules change? Around the time the stray dog chased her half across town? She shook her head in doubt. Regardless of the mysterious rule changing, or that it happened without her knowing about it, since he finally admitted that he could tolerate her creepiness, shouldn't he be less angry with her now?

"Hey!"

Like dangling from a string, Hikaru's voice was like scissors, cutting her down. She hurled back to earth, disoriented and confused. She blinked.

"What were you thinking?" His voice was tight, controlled, opposed to his playful and mischievous voice. "You didn't look that scared."

She frowned. _Er . . . what?_ To her disappointment her head slipped under the quicksand of confusion. Her brain sputtered and coughed as she struggled to comprehend his question.

Hikaru glared at her. "And don't give me that I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about look!"

For a second, Ren wondered how her face looked.

_What's wrong with me today? I've never been this pathetic. Sure I had my moments, but this is different. _Creepy-chan! _Being afraid of someone cannot be healthy. Even though that someone is packing extreme punches of beautiful, I should at least fight back like I always do. _Are you listening to me? _But each time I try I find myself running and screaming in the other direction. _No, of course not. You never listen to me._ And it seems to me that he gets a good laugh at making me miserable - frustrated, sometimes even angry. You would think this would encourage me to stand up for myself. But I can't. It's confusing. It's annoying. It doesn't make any sense-_

"Hey, Creepy-chan!" He shouted, putting seize to her mind rambling. She looked up at him, surprised. "Answer the question!"

Ren stood in silence, watching the fury still plain on his face. Her mouth opened but the words couldn't make it past her lips. They fumbled over each other in the base of her throat when it finally dawned on her that she forgot about what he asked for.

What did he say again, she thought and tried to remember his exact words.

_**- "What were you thinking?**_ _**You didn't look that scared."**_

Ren let her dull eyes fall to her hands, listening to the gentle rhythm of the rain pattering around her while she tried to recall fifteen minutes ago.

_Okay,_ She told herself, commencing the journey that will lead her into the depths of her memory. In six seconds flat she recollected small portions and began putting the puzzle together on why she wasn't scared of the Yakuza. _Since I can never maintain perfect balance for more than two measly minutes, I fell - curse gravity, its laws and all of its principles. Well, I was pushed but I still couldn't get any support on the pavement and that's just sad. One of them . . . the one with the bat, said something to me . . . Something like . . . It was . . ._

Ren paused in the middle of her mind jogging when she stumbled upon the words that boy had told her.

_**- "Ugly girls should die alone."**_

At that moment, realization brightened her face and she remembered exactly what had crossed her mind. Her eyes were fixed on one thing, that boy's nose. She wondered how he would look after shoving his nose in. Her attention traveled back to Hikaru, and she could see him getting impatient; frustrated by her silence.

"I was," then she put a stop to her words, surprised at how raspy her voice sounded. She cleared her throat. "I was going to break their noses."

"You were going to fight back?" This upset him further. "Didn't you think about running away?"

"I tried not to."

"Why?"

"I fall down a lot when I run."

"What about calling for help?"

"No one would care."

The excuse had left him completely flabbergasted. It was _so_ Ren-like.

"You . . . you just - how could - but . . . but that's-" His stammering came to an abrupt stop when he realized he wasn't making any sense. Frustrated, he gave a sharp exhale and turned, giving her his side profile. He brought his fingers to his forehead and slid them back over his head, pulling his wet bangs out of his eyes. He was not looking at her anymore.

_She was actually thinking about fighting them?_ He shook his head with a hand still tangled in his drenched hair. _Stupid!_

It wasn't right, or smart. It was wrong and stupid. She was stupid for thinking it was right. Those guys were Yakuza, and twice, no, triple her size with the ability to knock her out for a month - possibly longer. If it weren't for Mori and Hani's martial arts training he took in the summer, he wouldn't have stood a chance either.

How could she think for a second that it was all right to fight them? Anything could have happened to her. There would be bruises and broken bones and cuts and blood and blood and more blood. God! Just the thought of him almost using the shortcut, the one he usually took home, made him sick to the stomach. He would have never seen her in trouble, would have never intervened, which also meant she would be occupying a hospital room in critical condition right about now.

_Too close._ His jaw clenched. _Too _damn_ close._

Still standing a few feet away, Ren wondered about the thoughts going through his head. She assumed they were things he disliked because his expression seemed to grow harder by each passing second. Ren shifted a little where she stood, hoping the rain was playing tricks with her eyes, and was imagining things that weren't really there.

_What if they come back? Damn it, you idiot!_ The hand on his head grabbed a handful of red hair, squeezing so hard he wouldn't be surprised to have pulled them all out from the roots. _I should have gone after them. Should have turned around and hunted down those- _He shook his head._ No. Don't think that way. Think the other way. Focus. Control the temper. You can do this, Hikaru._ Eventually his fingers relaxed, releasing the strong hold on his hair. _Yeah, that's it. Good. Okay, didn't she say something important? _Taking in a deep breath, feeling a little composed, he decided to place his full attention on Ren.

"What makes you think no one would bother to help you?" He kept his eyes elsewhere, not willing to see her expression.

"Because it's the truth." She responded matter-of-factly.

His eyes rolled. "You can't know that,"

"And what do you know?" She said in a low, frosty voice. "You haven't been through the things that I've been through, or heard the things that I've heard. You talk like you know me. But you don't."

There was silence. Hikaru was uncharacteristically calm, which puzzled her. Usually he would have by now snapped back at her for being a blunt idiot, and use the back of his hand to whack her head. But this time he did neither of those. Did her words hurt him? She couldn't tell. From this angle it seemed like he was in deep thought about something.

Ren sighed after a moment, and looked away. "I'm leaving." But before she had the chance to get her limbs moving, Hikaru's loud voice put a stop to her.

"Hold on." And then the rest of his words followed in a rush. "Had something happen to you in middle school similar to what those guys did?"

Surprise flitted across her face.

"Well?" He was still not looking at her.

Her eyes narrowed. "That's none of your business."

"So does that mean yes?" He pressed on.

"No!" She snapped. "It means exactly how it's said!"

Hikaru slid his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. "So then something did happen?" It didn't sound like a question.

"Doesn't the term _none of your business_ mean anything to you? Just leave me alone." She tried to sound demanding, but her trembling voice gave herself away. "Just . . . just leave me alone."

"You can trust me, you know." From the corner of his eye, he gave her a sidelong glance. His eyes were gentle, but his face was still rigid. "I won't tell anyone."

She stared back. After everything that happened today, it surprised her how that little promise sent flutters in her stomach. His words bounced around inside her head, echoing over the thundering beat of her heart in her ears, until finally it sunk in. He, this beautiful creature in front of her, cared to take a moment of his time - out of his glamorous life - to listen to her.

_He wants to know? _Her knees started to wobble as if she weighed a ton instead of a hundred and ten. _Why couldn't he be like everyone else?_ She could feel the hot tears sting the corners of her eyes. _Why couldn't he just leave me alone?_

Ren looked down to hide her face, but it was already too late. It didn't take him long to recognize the flash of emotions that surfaced: the tense expression, the occasional twitch on her upper lip and her wide dark eyes all signified how nervous she felt about his question. She was hiding something from him, he could tell, and the first person that came to mind was the boy who rejected her in middle school. He could be the reason why she felt so insecure around everyone. There were no other explanations. _What are you hiding,_ he thought to himself.

Why did she act as if everyone was going to harm her? Why did she push every person she met out of her life, and then crawl into the darkness of her room as if she didn't deserve to be outside with the rest of the world? _Stop running away, damn it._ His hands clenched into fists, so tight each knuckle turned white. He was going to find out even if it meant waiting all night.

"You . . ." she was having a hard time concentrating on her question with those brilliant eyes of his staring with probing intensity at her, "really want to know?"

Under the cold rain she could feel heat building up in her cheeks. She had to hear it from him, had to know if he was joking around or being serious with her. After a moment of silence she bit down on her lower lip, feeling an invisible weight on her shoulders.

_Say it_. He hesitated. "Yes, I want to know."

_He wants to know . . . _

Lightening flashed. Thunder snarled above them.

And then she collapsed.

"Ren!" Hikaru's voice was alarmed as he quickly closed the gap between them and kneeled in front of her. "What happened?" He asked after seeing her body roll to the side.

"You . . . said . . . my . . . name." She said dizzily.

He felt his forehead crease. It wasn't what he expected to hear. "_That's_ what made you faint?" He asked, confused.

"No," Carefully she shook her head, still a little faint. "You called me by my name. You have always called me . . . Creepy-chan." Ren wavered slightly where she sat, feeling incredibly lame.

"I see. I guess I did." His tone sounded like he was confessing an embarrassing weakness.

She looked up at his uneasy expression, and felt lightheaded again by the force of his gold-colored eyes. Why did he have to be so _damn_ beautiful?

Hikaru read the discomfort on her face for a long second. Then it clicked. "Oh!" He blurted, sliding far away from her on the wet pavement. "Sorry. I forgot." He apologized sheepishly.

She didn't say a word, staring at her wrinkled fingers submerged in the rainwater. The silence dragged on, and she wished he would fill it up with one of his random questions. Or, better yet, argue with her. At this point anything would be fine.

"I'm still waiting for your story." He reminded, innocently looked up at her under thick lashes.

_Except for that._ She sighed.

Where to begin? There was one thing she never thought to find herself digging up, and that was the dread of middle school year. It was buried in the back of her head for a reason. She wished those four years of her life could somehow be erased from her memory, forever lost in the dusty pages of history. On second thought, she wished a car would hit her right now, at this very moment, and knock her into a deep coma - never to wake up and tell the story of her life to the beautiful creature. It was a crude thing to wish on, she was aware of it, but it was okay to wish upon it because she knew it would never happen anyway.

She took a deep breath and was able to locate a backbone despite the fact of enduring another dose of embarrassment today. Rather than spilling someone's coffee, she was going to spill her past on the floor for the stubborn Hitachiin all because he refused to leave without a story in mind - as he had so confidently told her.

"Well," she began slowly, reluctant as always. "It happened one week after I gave up on trying to be pretty. It started in the classrooms, behind the teachers backs - practically under their noses. People who I thought were my friends gave me the cold shoulder overnight. They told me they had never been my friend, and pushed me away . . ."

_Being bullied around was starting to come as a daily routine for her. Every morning the same boys and girls of Hatsumakii Middle School pointed and made fun of her appearance while she walked to class. They didn't care how bad they treated her, or how much their words hurt her feelings. It just so happen they supposed a creature of the darkness would not carry feelings as they did; which logically made no sense._

"_Ew, gross. She's looking at us."_

"_They say if you catch her staring at you you'll become just like her."_

"_How scary!"_

"_Oi, ugly girl. You're face is making people throw-up. You should take a hike."_

"_Yeah, off a cliff."_

"_Shhhh! Hey, everyone check this out."_

_As the students continued to snicker in the hallway, Ren did her best to ignore them by keeping her back turned, reaching into her open locker. _Whoosh!_ She forced her lips together to muffle a whimper when someone threw a crumbled paper ball at her head. She could hear them laughing at full volume behind her. Hot tears stung the corners of her eyes, but she swallowed the weak emotion back, and pulled out her Geography textbook like nothing had happened._

"_Did you see that? I think I saw a tear."_

"_Awe! Does ugly girl want to cry?" The mocking hostility in his voice made her wince. It was Kakeru Sanada - another soul who hated her guts._

"_Leave me alone." She demanded pathetically. Another paper ball was thrown at her head, and then a third. "Leave me alone, Kakeru!" She snapped, slamming her locker door closed. The lockers shuddered against each other, and then finally went still._

_Her demanding voice was not taken seriously because Kakeru had thrown yet a fourth paper ball at her head, but unlike the first three, this one did not bounce off. Angrily, Ren grabbed the large ball of paper and pulled on it. In that second she discovered a long strand of gooey gum on the paper, trailing to the back of her head. Her eyes widen. _

"_How do you like your new look?" He taunted proudly, nose in the air. "I think it brings out the big, red pimples on your face just perfectly."_

_She watched in horror as everyone in the hall pointed and laughed at her._

"When I realized people were not accustomed to seeing a hideous creature every day, I decided to ignore them, thinking they will one day do the same," Ren exhaled heavily. "Later did I realize how dumb of an idea that was. By being passive the bullying only got worst. I had to spend most of my lunch periods in the . . . girls restroom. And then finally I couldn't take it anymore. I fought back."

"I lost count on how many fights I was involved in. I remember the Head Principle's upset face, and the disappointed looks my mother and father would give me. But I guess there were some good that came out of it. I learned how to defend for myself, and by the end of the school year no one bullied me anymore. There were some name calling, but that was all. Most just avoided me." The sadness in her voice was poorly disguised. She turned her head, expression bland and unreadable, staring at the ground without really looking at it. _There. The end._

Hikaru felt himself become very still. In his chest something tightened, a warm twisting sensation that burned his insides. He found it difficult to breath evenly. _They_ were the reason why she couldn't trust people. She was afraid to repeat history.

Was she scared to go to school at some point, he wondered, always running away, always hiding to avoid the students harassing her? At that moment, he remembered the first time he met her, and the events from that day flashed before his eyes. Several images came to him in slow motion and he was able to see everything in great detail. He found her in one of the restroom stalls. She was crying. Her feelings were crushed over the words a couple of girls had said. Till this day he still had no idea what those words were, but clearly it must have been extreme to upset Ren in such a way to have made her hide in the girl's restroom. Nobody does that at school. Nobody except her.

The tips of his fingers tingled with a greedy possessive urge to pull her into his arms and to never let go. Even though he desired to hold her, protect her from the people in this world who took a sick pleasure in making her cry, he knew he could not because in the end she wouldn't allow him. Ren often had a neck for attracting danger, but she wasn't the damsel in distress type.

**- **_**"I don't need anyone's help. I'm already used to doing things on my own, so it's no big deal."**_

But no matter how hard she tried to be strong, no matter how far she tried to run from the world, behind the tough face and the cold heart was a normal fifteen year-old girl. He paused, and repeated that one more time in his head. Immediately his mind responded with a resounding negative. _Normal_ didn't sound like a fitting word to describe her. Ren was not normal. She was . . . well, Ren was . . . herself, and always herself. Not your typical girl from Ouran Academy, not Renge, or Haruhi. Ren did not like the Host Club; she liked the Black Magic Club. Ren did not like watching romance movies; she liked watching zombie movies. And Ren did not like fancy tuna; she liked strawberries.

This new discovery surprised him. For the very first time everything about her seemed clear to him as if he had opened his eyes, saw passed the creepy personality, unkempt hair, and bizarre outfits, and truly found her.

After hearing nothing coming from his part, Ren guessed he either went into shock or died out of boredom. She looked at him. _Nope. His chest is still moving._ So then he must be in shock. Having him dead would have made things much easier for her then to face his criticism that was sure to come hurdling towards her very soon. It never came. She waited three more minutes but still nothing.

A shiver trailed down her arms, raising goose-bumps. Well she had to admit there was nothing like being in the freezing rain, without a jacket, waiting for the flu to happen - she was _such_ asmart girl. Not looking forward to waking up in the morning with a sore throat and a running nose, Ren decided now was a good time to go home. But then he said something, seizing her brain from commanding her legs to stand up.

"I think I understand now." He muttered, so quietly that she wasn't sure if he was talking to her or himself.

After debating against it in her head, she asked, "What do you understand, exactly?"

Hikaru paused for so long that she wondered if he hadn't heard her question. Finally, he said, "Before, it was difficult. You were so reserved, and distant. But after what you just told me," He glanced up to check her expression. "I understand you now."

She stared, befuddled, into his eyes. They appeared brighter now, a light topaz, almost glowing in the limited light the streetlights provided. They were dazzling. She was so mesmerized by the eyes that stared so intently into her own, and, no doubt, did she forget about what he had just told her. For now, she concentrated on remembering how to inhale and exhale.

"It stopped raining." She heard him say.

She blinked before breaking away from his golden eyes to look up. And sure enough he was right. The storm had moved further north, but lightening still flickered in the sky. The slow movement of his body raising distracted her from the overcast.

"Let me help you up." He offered, giving her his hand. She eyed it with caution, and then looked up at him as if half expecting him to yank his hand back and laugh at her. All traces of distrusting him vanished when she saw his face friendly, open, with that breathtaking twisted smile. "I won't bite." He said, a bit smug.

She raised one eyebrow. Was he teasing her now?

Glaring at his smiling perfection, she reached out. Her eyes widen, amazed how the sudden feeling of security washed over her as soon as she grabbed his hand. She could feel her heart beat accelerating in her chest. Hikaru pulled her paper-light-body to her feet, but didn't let go. Mystified, she glanced up. He was staring at her hand with the strangest expression - something she had never seen in him before.

Hikaru felt her eyes on him, and slowly looked up at her. Embarrassed, she quickly averted her gaze elsewhere, expecting him to do the same. Instead, he bent his head to one side with those gentle eyes taking a great interest in her face. Now that the hood and annoying curtain of bangs were gone, he could see her face perfectly under the streetlights. The bright blush contrasted with her ivory skin and accentuated the darkness in her eyes. _Tono was right, that cosmetician's facial treatment did do wonders to her complexion._

She swallowed, wondering why he was still staring at her in that way, and if he was aware that he's been staring for more than a minute. Obviously he would know if he was staring at her or not. And seeing that he did know, then he had to know she would most definitely not approve of his staring, and therefore, should stop immediately. So why was he doing the exact opposite?

Ren was so nervous she was unaware of her legs convulsing. She closed her eyes tightly and focused on the other part of her mind that didn't revolve around a pair of stunning gold eyes. "Um," she managed to say, "I-I guess this is where we say g-goodbye."

"It is getting late." The smile in his voice was crystal clear even though she wasn't looking at him.

"V-very late."

"Which is not a good thing."

"Be-cause it's dangerous?"

"Not only that. It's a school night."

"Then that settles it. Goodbye." She waited impatiently for him to return her hand. When he never did she opened her eyes and reluctantly looked up. He had his lips together, as if suppressing laughter. "I'm gonna' need that back to go home." Somehow she felt saying that made her sound like an idiot.

That twisted smile returned. "And you will as soon as we get there."

"We?" She squeaked.

"Yes, I'm taking you home." Not waiting for an answer, he pulled her along around the corner. With shaky legs, she followed him.

It was difficult for her to keep up with his pace when her mind was hazy. So naturally, she tripped a few times. Thankfully Hikaru was always there to hold her up before her face met the ground in what could have been very painful. She felt the familiar sensation of warmth in the depths of her nose, and she battled with it to keep from gushing all over the ground.

"This isn't the way to my aunt's house." She said, distracting herself from enduring another nosebleed. "It's in the other direction."

"I know." He said. "I'm looking for the bus stop."

"Can't you just - AACK!" She stumbled over her own feet but found balance quickly. "Why can't you call one of your personal drivers to pick us up?"

"Not unless you have a cell phone on you." Reaching in his jacket, Hikaru pulled out his cell and showed it to her. It was completely broken with the battery missing. "It fell from my pocket while I was dodging those low-lives."

Ren dropped her head. _Just my luck._

They walked across the street and followed the sidewalk, going west. Blinking thoroughly, Ren wondered what was wrong with this picture. Oh, that's right THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS! The panic from before had returned, but much stronger this time. She didn't like this. _This is bad, this is very bad,_ the voice in her head repeated again and again. But that wasn't the worst part. As confusing as it may sound she couldn't think of a way to protest, but she knew she wanted to.

Clearly something serious was taking place here. Trying to think through the panic, she stared at her tiny hand being cradled in his rather large hand for reassurance. Why couldn't she put her foot down and yank her hand back? _Why, why, why, why, why?_ It was the simplest thing to do in the world, yet she was unable to come through. Then a sudden thought came to her mind. A scary, unwelcoming thought.

Somewhere between running away, and the nosebleeds, could she have developed an infatuation for the dazzling creature?

_No!_ She disagreed quickly. _That's crazy!_

Hikaru was a creature beyond her level, and totally the opposite from her. His brightness and her darkness could never mesh. Ever! How could she consider such absurdness? But what if her absurdness was correct? Her mind paused, and then seemed to remember something.

During Biology class last week, Sensei Arisu began lecturing about the structures of a single atom. After explaining electrons are responsible for binding together with a positively charged nucleus - in order to catch the interest of her bored students - she said human chemistry could be compared to the nature of Molecule Charges. There was a saying, she had said, opposite couples are often unexpectedly well matched. In Ren's case, a dark creature and a bright creature might be perfect for each other.

She choked back the exasperation that threatened to explode. Her wandering mind was entering dangerous waters, and she had to stop before her ridiculous notions started to make sense. But what, then? She asked herself. There had to be a rational explanation for why she couldn't think of anything to make him let go of her hand. She closed her eyes, and listened again in her head the things that influenced infatuation: the feeling of depression after realizing he was upset at her, the way she doesn't give him any restrictions after unsuccessfully avoiding him, the total lack of control over her body whenever she looked into his eyes, which include the following: faint spells, memory loss, butterflies in the stomach, wobbly knees, and let's please not forget about the massive nosebleeds. How he dazzled her frequently - sometimes without even trying.

Was she infatuated with him?

Well, she had something. Something relatively close to Taboo.

_If_ she was falling for the beautiful creature, that would mean Renge's theory was correct. Slowly she was changing, and without noticing it too. She was beginning to develop feelings for the prettiest boy in school. How could she let this happen? And what about all those years of giving her loyalty to the darkness? All of it would have been a waste. She would be abandoning her oath to never fall in love again, the darkness, and Chucky-kun - poor, clueless, and often sticky Chucky-kun. The news would break his little black heart. And then again, he might not want to be her best friend anymore . . . Ren could feel her stomach do summersaults.

_Either with the bright creatures, or with the dark creatures, I don't belong anywhere._ The frightening truth made her head bow and her shoulders slump. She was too preoccupied in her newly found discovery that she failed to notice Hikaru had been talking to her that whole time, only able to catch four words.

". . . on the safe side."

Her eyes flashed open, and she looked up. The first thing she saw was the back part of his head. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled. Trying to sound like she heard his entire sentence, she responded lamely with a, "Yeah?"

But he wasn't convinced.

"You weren't listening, were you?" He glared at her over his shoulder.

She lowered her head. "Not really."

Hikaru took the moment to sigh. She was hopeless. "I said don't tell anybody about what I did for you today - especially to Tono. He might get ideas, and I don't feel like dealing with his melodramatic side right now. So do me a favor and keep this between us just to be on the safe side. Alright?"

"Alright." She repeated in a low voice.

"Good." He said, and with that he ended the conversation.

The silence between them didn't bother her this time. She needed to think clearly without him distracting her. There was no way she could be falling for a creature of the light. Perhaps she overlooked a piece of information due to her panic. Desperate to be liberated from this nightmare, she quickly doubled back.

It took her awhile, but she finally unearthed one solution that was sure to wash away all of her worries. While being a creature of the dark, was it not in her nature to react strangely in front of a beautiful creature - a beautiful creature like Hikaru, for instance? She was biologically incapable to resist their symmetric qualities, the kind of qualities you see in models. Absolutely perfect. So, Hikaru wasn't the only one she felt weak around. Beautiful creatures in general have the same effect on her.

So then - maybe. That would have to be her answer.

She felt a sense of some release, and she could breath easily again. Even so, in the far depths of her mind, she could not help but feel she was forgetting something. Mentally shrugging, she decided not to dwell on the matter. A slight headache was pinching the side of her head. No need to provoke it further.

Flashes of lightening illuminated the sky as they walked in silence. Ren shivered. She wanted to cross her arms tightly over her chest to conserve what warmth she had left, but remembered Hikaru was still holding her hand. She tried to figure out why he hadn't let go already. One thought came to mind. Was it that her clumsiness, prone to getting into trouble, made him felt she might never reach her aunt's house? Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"You don't have to do this, you know." She assured him. "I'm perfectly capable to walk myself home."

He made a complete stop, making her almost walk into his back. "Didn't you hear me promise to take you home?" His voice was indignant, and he turned around to look at her. She stared at his graved angel face, wide eyed. She didn't expect him to react this way. He took her silence as permission to do what ever he wanted and towed her across an empty road, pulling her by the hand.

She tried to match his pace. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" He asked.

"Helping me." She said, not liking his playing-it-dumb attitude.

He closed his eyes. It was the question he knew she would ask him. "Since I was younger Kaoru always told me I had a temper. I didn't believe him until today. Every time I think about what those guys could have done to you if I hadn't gotten there in time . . ." He didn't finish his sentence, lips pressed tightly together, struggling for a moment to control his temper again. "I guess," he continued, opening his eyes, "what I'm trying to say is, I don't know what I would do if I saw you in danger again."

Seconds ticked by as she absorbed everything he told her.

"What are you thinking?" Unknowingly he squeezed her hand after saying that last word.

"I'm trying to figure you out." She replied honestly over his shoulder.

A ghost of a smile passed through his face. "Are you having any luck with that?"

"Not really." She admitted.

Hikaru laughed lightly. "That's too bad."

Ren sighed, and listened to her boots squeak on the wet pavement. A single car drove by them, turning right at the corner ahead. They were once again alone on the street. Until two girls walked out of the building they were walking alongside.

Both girls were blond, around her age, and a hundred times prettier than she will ever be. They walked off gossiping excitedly, heading in their direction. Her subconscious fear of being seen made her walk close behind Hikaru, hiding herself from their view. He was oblivious to the girls, looking past them to the corner.

She looked down and waited for them to walk by, hoping they would overlook her. _This is embarrassing. They might get the wrong idea._ And wrong ideas have been known to lead down many roads of destruction. How would they react if they saw her holding hands with a boy as beautiful as an angel? Well, it was more like _he_ was holding her hand. She kept her head down and glanced up under her lashes. None of them were looking her way. She lifted her head a little.

They were facing each other, still talking. Then the girl on the right turned her head. That was when she found the Hitachiin. Ren understood the look in her eyes as she stared at him. Who could blame her? He was extremely beautiful. It didn't take the other girl long to follow her friend's intense gaze and share the exact same staggering expression. But as the two girls came closer and closer, they realized the beautiful boy they had been ogling at was not alone. Ren was sure in the instant their eyes meant, that the smiles on their faces simultaneously changed to a frown. She quickly looked away as they passed by, flushing bright red. She could feel their eyes bore into her back. As soon as Hikaru reached the corner, she walked fast around.

"It's about time." He had located the bus stop, which Ren could see a little ways ahead, across from Third Street. "And here I was beginning to think we were lost."

She dropped her head lower than ever, letting her slightly damp hair fall around her to conceal her face. "We must look weird." She couldn't help say.

"Huh?" Hikaru raised one eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"We are . . . hand in hand, after all." She almost died out of humiliation when she finished.

He stopped walking. "So?"

Startled, she looked up at him.

"I notice you take everything very seriously," he said, "especially when it comes to people and their opinions. But you shouldn't because not everyone sees you the same way."

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

Up ahead the traffic light turned from red to green. A blue and white bus drove across the intersection, coming to a complete stop next to the sign they were pursuing.

Looking at her over his shoulder, he found her dark eyes underneath her bangs and held them. Those penetrating eyes of his were slowly turning her bones to putty. "I don't think we look weird."

She swallowed, dislodging the sudden lump in her throat. "O-okay,"

A smirk rearranged his features - so beautiful to an excruciating degree. Ren's head was spinning. The driver honked twice with obvious impatience. He changed the subject. "Hurry before the bus leaves us stranded here." He pulled her with him, and she staggered along sideways towards the public transportation.

The entrance slid open for them. It was empty inside with only a male bus driver behind the wheel. He glanced at them through half opened eyes. Hikaru finally released Ren's hand and stepped in. She stumbled after him. He paid his share for the ride, and it was now her turn. She fished out her coin purse, opened it, and frowned. Zero cents. She looked up to find Hikaru staring at her with a weary expression.

"Not enough?" He guessed.

"I forgot that I spent it all on a slice of Pumpkin Bread." As Ren pocket the tiny purse, feeling embarrassed, she was sure he had never known the feeling of being broke.

"Your aunt didn't leave you any money?" His voice was devoid of any uncharitable intent so she decided to respond to his question truthfully.

"I told her not to." She said. "I don't take money from others when I don't deserve it."

"What are you talking about?" He crumbled his face. "You're living in her house. Of course you deserve the money."

He shook his head at her confused look, and paid for her as well.

The driver watched his dripping wet passengers through the rear-view mirror as they took a seat across from each other. The man smiled, making his laughing lines more visible on his face. "Just came from dancing in the rain, I see." They both looked up. The elder man chuckled at their lost expressions and put the gears into Drive Mode. "That's very cute but next time you should bring dry clothes. You'll catch a cold."

Ren carefully glanced at Hikaru from the corner of her eye. He turned his head, staring morosely through the windshield at the grey clouds. The bus slowly lumbered across the streets, passing pharmacies that had influenza vaccine posters up on their windows; tiny antique shops filled with crystals, furniture, and books; winter clothes displayed behind glass-fronted stores. When the bus took its first turn on Main Street, thoughts occurred in Ren's head. Could two complete opposite people find a connection somewhere along the way, fall head over heels for each other, and end up happily together? She closed her eyes, and pressed her fingers to her temples, shoving the disturbing questions out of her mind.

"Hey?" Hikaru asked in a different tone - serious, but at the same time hesitant.

Her eyes opened, and she looked at him.

"Never mind." He said suddenly, eyes on the clouds again. "It was nothing."

She stared at him confused, before turning away. She laid her head back on the seat, trying very hard not to think. It was all no use, of course. A small part of her mind wondered what he meant earlier when he said:

_**- "You were so reserved, and distant, but after what you just told me . . . I understand you now." **_

There was a pause as she repeated the words in her head a few more times, combing through them to grasp what he was trying to say. But she found herself getting tangled after each attempt. What did he understand about her? She settled with asking him later.

"Oh!" He blurted aloud.

"Yes?" She turned to him too eagerly.

"I almost forgot." He smiled, flashing his brilliant teeth behind perfect lips. "During the time I saved you from getting a possible concussion, I lost my coffee." Somehow there was a dark edge to his voice.

"Um . . . _I'm sorry._" It sounded more like a question though.

"_Sorry_ isn't going to cut it, Creepy-chan." He told her. "You have no other choice but to appease my caffeine cravings by buying me a Cinnamon Dolce Latte from _Java Joe's_. I expect it to be smothered with maple syrup, and given to me by tomorrow afternoon." He held up his hand, and showed her four of his fingers. "Four o'clock sharp. Right after school."

She glared, and then turned her head back. "I don't think so."

"Why not? I came to your rescue. You owe me." He reminded her, the smile had long left his face.

"First of all, you're selfish. And second of all, it's not like I asked you to save me." She turned her head a fraction towards him with a blank expression. "You did that on your own."

He was staring at her incredulously. "Are you telling me that you wanted to get beaten up?"

Ren sighed at his stupid question. That's not want she meant. "I'm just saying it was your choice to help me. I shouldn't owe you anything."

"You do!" Both fists came down on his lap. "Now return the generosity and buy me a hot drink of sweetened and fatty goodness!"

_Now he's just being ridiculous. _Ren fully turned to face him so he could maybe read her serious expression and give it a rest. "I couldn't if I wanted to. I don't have any more money. Remember?"

Hikaru crossed his arms, nose in the air. "That makes no difference."

"It makes a _huge_ difference you selfish jerk! I'm broke!" Seriously, this was a stupid topic to be arguing about.

His mouth spread into a wide grin. "Then get a job."

_What?_ She wasn't sure if she heard correctly. "What?"

"Actually a job just opened up at my place. I need a personal maid who will clean my undergarments for one dollar by the hour," Ren's jaw fell to the floor, "Interested?"

"You . . . you . . ." She couldn't think of a bad enough word to say to him.

"Dear me," Hikaru leaned forward, amused. "Am I annoying you?"

She couldn't take it anymore. Exasperated, she swiftly turned around, and pressed her lips tightly together to muffle her scream.

Hikari laughed - loving how he finally got her upset - until he heard her say, "That's it!" Ren reached up to pull the yellow tape. On impulse, Hikaru threw himself across the bus, and landed in her seat. They fought against each other: one trying to stop the bus while the other preventing it with all of his strength. But as their laughing and shouting echoed loud in the quiet bus, Hikaru thought this was nice, being himself. No fake smiles. No trying to please anyone - just natural and effortless fun. There was a time when she meant nothing to him, yet tonight, Hikaru was surprised to feel grateful to be with her.

"Quiet down back there!" Demanded the bus driver. The two Ouran students quickly settled down, placing their hands on their own laps. The man returned his eyes to the road again. The sensation she held back for so long finally came out. Ren leaned forward and covered her nose the moment blood spilled out. Hikaru turned away, snickering.

The bus gave a turn, and drove out of town, leaving the cluttered buildings and abandon warehouses behind, heading directly towards the oldest and most prestigious estates in the area that housed most of the students attending Ouran Academy.

"Let me know when we get there." Giving a sigh of comfort, Hikaru leaned back with hands behind his head.

She turned to look at him, alarmed. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He yawned to hide the smile playing on his lips - he loved making her nervous. "I'm relaxing of course."

"But there's several other seats to relax in." She said as she looked around the empty bus. They were the only passengers riding.

He waved his hand dismissively. "Too tired."

"I don't care!" She tried pushing him over the edge of her bus seat. Despite his skinny body, he was hard to move. "I don't want you sitting with me."

A thought came to his mind, and he smirked deviously. He turned to her quickly then, taking her heart-shaped face into his hands. The gold in his eyes blazed, unleashing its full, devastating power on her. "Please, let me sit with you."

_God, enough with the torment for one night!_ The power of his flawless beauty began to take its toll on her. She whispered a feeble, "No,"

You asked for it, he thought. And so he leaned closer - breaking her number one rule. He smelled amazing. The delicious scent was intoxicating. Her heart accelerated. Damn him. Damn that dazzling creature. But before she could fall into her swoon, she bit down on her lower lip, hard. The feeling of pain momentarily freed her mind from his mesmerizing eyes. A furious expression crossed her face, and she hauled back a hand to push him away, but he caught her wrist in his hand.

"I wouldn't," he said coolly.

"No?" She asked, blushing. "What are you going to do about it?"

A twisted smile pulled at his lips, and then, without warning, forced her back. With a cry of surprise she fell against the windshield. Hikaru pressed her wrist on the cold glass, sending shivers down her spine. He looked down at her, poised on his knees over her body. Their faces were merely centimeters away, but she kept staring at him, practically going cross-eyed. Then, as if from a distance, she heard him speak.

"Please," he mumbled darkly, and there was a certain edge to his voice that she couldn't identify. "I want to sit with you . . . _Ren._"

Her dark eyes widen. The sound of his musical voice saying her name soothed the rapid beatings of her heart, numbing her entire body from head to toe. She sat frozen in place, jaw hanging. Hikaru seemed confused. _Where was the massive nosebleed?_ He lifted the hand that held her wrist and poked her forehead twice to check if she was alive. She was alive, but somehow her brain refused to function properly.

_She goes into shock when I say her name?_

He let his head drop, eyes hidden behind a veil of red bangs. His shoulders began to shake. He pressed his lips together to stifle a chuckle. But it was just too funny! Hikaru threw his head back and burst out laughing. Blinking out from her momentarily frozen state, slightly in a haze, Ren looked up. She made a face. Was he laughing at her? She watched as the Hitachiin's laughter eventually dissolved, but his smile never left him. He moved away from Ren, and sat correctly on the bus seat.

"You're such a handful," sighed Hikaru, leaving it at that.

Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, Ren quickly sat upright and twisted around, giving her back to the Hitachiin. She glared at the passing outskirts of town through the windshield with a faint blush. At least she was going home.

* * *

In a huge bedroom several posters of the Host Club were pinned to the walls, but seen more often were pictures of the Hitachiin brothers. Hikaru's and Kaoru's face was everywhere, from Brotherly Love notebooks to Little Devil key-chains.

On top of a cream colored vanity table, where a vast array of cosmetics laid out, was a pink cell phone. The screen flashed blue, making a low rumbling sound as it began to vibrate.

Sprawled across a bed with four-posters, a girl looked up from the romance Manga in her hands. The cell continued to quiver across the vanity, knocking into different accessories - tubes of lipgloss and mascara rolled over the edge. She set the book aside, and kicked off her pink sheets.

When she reached her vanity, she picked up the cell phone and opened it, killing the vibration. She adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose before reading the text message out loud.

"Can you believe this?"

The girl frowned, puzzled, and pressed the Open button on the touch screen. The picture that was sent to her via e-mail appeared. Her green eyes open wide with surprise. She gasped. The cell phone fell from her hands. For a good long second she stared at her horror-stricken expression in the mirror, and watched a whole different emotion slowly take over her face. Jealousy. She screamed, shoving everything off the vanity onto the floor. Out of sheer rage, she lifted the vase filled with a bouquet of red roses and hurled it towards the mirror. It shattered. Roses fell everywhere. The water cascading down the mirror made her reflection look wavy and disoriented. One by one silent tears trailed over her cheeks. She clutched her chest with both hands and let her body fall to the floor. Her heart was broken.

Even though the powder from a purple eyeshadow was lightly sheen over the glowing screen, the image was still vivid. It showed two teenagers on Third Street, downtown. The shot was taken from a distance, through a restaurant window. The teenagers were easy to identify. Hikaru Hitachiin had a small smile, his hair wet and disheveled. And behind him, wearing a sodden black cloak with the hood pulled back, was Ren Ichihara.

They were holding hands.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

The room was dark. Every so often lightening flickered behind the slightly open drapes, shedding a faint light into the bedroom for half a second. Somewhere in the distance thunder murmured - the storm had moved further away. It was then the sound of music shattered the quiet. It came directly from a cell phone. It nagged and nagged on the nightstand nestled between two beds. On the left bed the hump shifted a little.

"_Hikaru . . ."_ Groaned a raspy voice, irritated. There was no reply. With eyes closed, Kaoru pulled his eyebrows together and frowned. Leaving the warmth and comfort of his bed to answer a call - a call that came from his brother's cell phone - didn't cross his mind. He wouldn't allow the thought to step foot in his conscience. His body was going to remain under the covers, resting. Nothing was going to strip that away from him. Not even his lazy brother. So he tried again. This time he made his voice stronger. "Oi . . . Hikaru."

The only sound he heard was that blasted ringtone. That device disturbed his sleep. No, the idiot calling disturbed his sleep. Why couldn't the person stop trying and hang up? It was three in the morning. Who in the right mind would call at that hour? Cursing under his nose, the Hitachiin rolled on his stomach. He pressed the pillow towards his ears to muffle the annoying noise. It did no good. The music continued playing.

Inwardly seething, he hauled his body up on one elbow and threw his pillow across the room. Even though his eyes were clouded with sleep, he managed to hit the large hump that was his older brother. Nothing. Not even a stir of life. There was a pause as Kaoru wondered when his brother became a heavy sleeper. Groggy and infuriated, he threw the rest of his pillows at Hikaru.

On the fourth one, from underneath silk white sheets, the Hitachiin groaned in protest. Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up.

"Answer your phone, well ya." Kaoru spoke with a gruff, pulling the sheets over his head.

To the younger Hitachiin's disappointment and great annoyance, the command was not done right away. Hikaru let the phone ring a few times. It wasn't until one minute passed that he slowly reached to the nightstand - the caller was very persistent. He found the nagging phone, almost knocking it over the edge in the process, and silenced it with a press of a button. Oh sure, like hell he was going to answer.

Hikaru grabbed the box of tissues next to the cell phone, and dragged it under the lukewarm sheets.

A message appeared on the cellphone screen. It read 5 Missed Calls.

* * *

The next day was better . . . and _worse_.

It was better because after weeks of going to school on an empty stomach, Ren built up the courage to cook breakfast; which had been neatly accomplished without burning down the house. What did burn was her toast, and her thumb and finger for trying to save the burning bread from a hot skillet. Considering it was her first time cooking, she thought she did an all right job. And to think she was too nervous to make eye contact with the electric stove, as if it would spontaneously combust if she did.

It was great because once again she proved her aunt wrong. She was relieved to know not only could she clean a house without breaking any valuable furniture, or vital limbs for that matter, she could cook too. She had always suspected Manaka's predictions were generally an exaggeration, turning trivial things into a serious issue - in other words, the woman was a drama queen. But to be _right _about everything was always a mood lifter.

It was easier because the dense and opaque clouds kept the sun from baking her skin on her walk to school. She hoped the weather remained somber for the rest of the day, and for the most part it had.

It was worse because she forgot to pack her cloak inside her school bag that morning. She left the full-length over-garment in her bedroom, sprawled over a chair.

It was miserable because she was tired; last night she couldn't sleep through one hour without the thunder and lighting yanking her back to consciousness. She fought the urge to fall asleep on her desk during her morning classes. She even considered stapling her eyes open at one point.

It was embarrassing because during roll call the substitute for Trigonometry refused to give up on trying to correctly pronounce her surname, sounding more and more like he was verbally impaired - _"Eh-she-hair-ah . . . Eh-che-hair-ah . . . Eh-che-hara." _After ten tries he still didn't get her name right.

And it was _worse_ because Hikaru Hitachiin was not in school.

All morning Ren dreaded going to Biology, fearing his devious mind games. The other night she imagined loosing about five gallons of blood after the fountain of endless nosebleeds. The inside of her nostrils still felt like it was on fire. At this point it wouldn't come as a huge surprise to her if she were diagnosed as anemic. She made a mental note to check up with her doctor soon, and to murder the Hitachiin if she was right. Needless to say it was all _his_ fault.

Since the moment he found her in the midst of getting a possible beat down, up until the bus dropped her off at home he refused to put an end to his teasing. Why he took pleasure in making Ren miserable was a mystery. His behavior was unlike any dazzling creature she met. Part of her wondered if it had anything to do with puberty. _Hm. When did boys begin puberty anyway? Fourteen, or is it sixteen? Hikaru is sixteen. Hm. Hikaru going through puberty . . . he did have a nicely chiseled chest . . ._

**Gulp! **

Bright red circles colored Ren's cheeks as she nervously ran fingers through her long inky hair. Have decided Hikaru's body developments had nothing to do with his provoking behavior, she forced her mind to ruminate on other things - like reality. Let's face it. His teasing won't last long. Hikaru would eventually get bored with her - she knew this from the get go. Boys who looked like Hikaru didn't hang out with girls who looked like Ren. It was like a high school law that no one talked about but knew it existed. The only reason why he spent time with her was because of Biology and Tamaki's treatment process. When the year comes to an end everything would fall back into place, Hikaru would forget about her, solitude and absolute darkness would embrace her once again. And that was okay. Right?

Biology finally came around, and for the first time she was early to class. She held her breath at the door; waiting nervously for the moment he arrived. She became absorbed, oblivious to everyone's staring. A student whispered something in his lab partner's ear and they both turned to look at Ren. But she was too focused on the door to notice anything else, so focused she could already see Hikaru walking in the room.

**Ren's Inner-mind Theater: **Without lifting his head, his liquid topaz eyes - intense and in some way full of mischief - looked up at her from under thick lashes, and his mouth pulled into a twisted smile, throwing off the pattern of her beating heart. A destructive angel before her very eyes. Soft sheets of gold light casted brightly behind his perfect frame to the point of blindness. Her hands flew to her eyes as she shrieked in pain. _"IT'S TOO BRIIIIIIGHT!"_

She was so engrossed in her envision that she failed to notice three students approaching her table.

"_Looking_ for someone?"

The angelic image of the Hitachiin in her head blurred and then vanished. Ren was hauled back to Biology, crash landing in her chair. She blinked, the fall leaving her slightly disoriented. Reluctantly she turned from the door, half expecting him to suddenly walk in, and looked up at her new visitors.

By her table stood three girls. In the center of the group - shoulder-length black hair, and blue eyes - glared a girl with a stern expression, nose high in the air. She had her arms folded over her chest in a fashion that told Ren she wasn't there to make small talk. Next, the girl on the left - long brown hair, wavy - appeared less intimidating with hands on her hips. Her brown eyes narrowed. Then the third girl on the right - bright red hair, and green eyes - held herself differently than the other two. She hid half of her body behind the one with black hair. Ren guessed the girl was trying to muster every ounce of courage within her to stand in the presence of Ouran Academy's scariest student. In fact, the three of them kept a careful distance from Ren, about five to six feet away.

They were waiting for an answer.

The question that one of the girls asked didn't sound like a question used on someone when you wanted to help them. It sounded more like a question of certainty, as if they already knew she _was_ looking for someone. Ren choose her words carefully - she did not know them after all.

"Not really." She half lied, playing it safe.

Almost immediately the one in the middle shot a hand towards Ren, pointing an accusing finger at her. Ren flinched at the unexpected gesture, back pressed up against her chair. They smirked, pleased by her reaction.

"Don't deny it, ghost girl." The girl said aloud, a few heads in the room turned in her direction. "We _know_ you were looking for the Hitachiin brothers, Kaoru-kun and Hikaru-kun."

"Mmhmm!" Agreed the other two simultaneously, nodding their heads.

She grimaced inwardly. _What is it with rich people and pointing fingers at me?_ Tamaki pointed every chance he got, and quite frankly Ren remembered Renge finger pointing at everyone like it was her job. _Being loaded with money could be the reason,_ she thought, _maybe it developed into a bad habit after using it so many times on their maids and butlers, or whatever they call them nowadays. Still, it was annoying._

Meanwhile the girls inclined toward the creepy transfer student, staring pointedly, waiting for her to fall to the floor and beg for forgiveness at their feet. _"I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry!" _Instead Ren seemed indifferent rather than afraid. She sat motionless in her chair - looking all too similar to a lifeless corpse. Their pleased smiles melted into a frown at the thought. Disturbed by her silence, they straightened their postures, leaning away. The two in the back whispered how they understood why everyone said she was scary.

Ren kept her face emotionless as a minute rolled by.

The girl standing in the middle of the two cried in frustration, "Ugh, you're so _weird_!" She flipped her charcoal black hair. "What_ever_, you don't need to say anything. Even if you disagree with us we would still think you were a lair."

Ren could not fully understand their reasons for lashing her with asinine questions that made no sense. There's no law banning a person from looking for their lab partner, is there? "Does it matter that much?" She asked.

The girl on the left - the one with brown hair - looked up and threw her arms in the air. "Well, of course it matters!" She shouted as if to the world.

"Anything concerning the Host Club matters to us." The one in the middle added matter-of-factly. She stuck her nose in the air. "That's what the H.C.E.A is known for."

"H-C-E-A?" Ren repeated blankly.

"You don't know what it stands for?" They spat, offended.

"I haven't got a clue." She paused to think. "Heavy Cats Eating Away?"

"Was that supposed to be funny?"

"Did you just call us fat cats?"

"Enough!" Shouted the leader. It was obvious she called the shots. "We don't have time to argue. Let's just get this over with."

They muttered an apology before striking similar poses with one hand raised high above their heads, placing the other on their waist and popping their hips to one side. The girl in the middle took on a superhero pose. Spreading her feet apart on the floor, she placed both hands on her waist.

Together they shouted a little too loud for Ren's ears, "We are the proud members of The Host Club Elite Association!"

_Do they do this every time a person doesn't know about their club?_ Ren suppressed her face from showing any emotion - that included laughter.

"Also known as H.C.E.A," Explained the girl in the middle rather proudly. Ren listened carefully. "A growing organization dedicated exclusively to the gentlemen of the Ouran High School Host Club!" She thumbed a finger to her chest, pointing at a golden badge that Ren hadn't noticed until now. "I'm Tsuno Mawagawa, second-year, and vice-president of H.C.E.A!"

The girl on the left pushed forward in front of Tsuno, catching her off guard. "I'm Kagura Setahige, second-year as well!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Um," the last girl was hesitant, dropping her eyes to the floor. "My name is Mamimi Toko," she muttered uneasily, "first-year."

"Kagura!" Called the vice-president, upset. "You shoved me again. What, are you deaf? I told you to quit it. How would you like it if I shoved you?"

"Opps! I did shove you, didn't I?" She laughed nervously. "I'm sorry. It's not like I do it on purpose. You know I have A.D.D."

"At least try preventing it from happening. Make a mental note about it, write it down on a sticky-note, wrap string around your finger, do _something_."

"Why can't you accept me for who I am?"

While they argued over their differences, Ren struggled to register one piece of information she wished she never heard. Her mind paused the moment she learned there was an organization on campus who devoted their free time to idolize and worship the Host Club. She wrinkled her nose. _What a waste of time._

Alright, okay, she was one to talk. The girl liked hanging out at a club with people who used tarot cards to read into the future and wore black cloaks everyday. Many people would consider_ that_ to be weird, but through her eyes the Black Magic Club was ordinary. It was those girls who were weird for creating lame poses and useless club interests.

_Then again, who am I to question someone's hobbies? _

Not like she should be surprised, those boys were like Gods. On top of that, they threw special events to entertain the girls at Ouran Academy. If you think about it, establishing a club for the Host Club didn't sound so far fetched after all. They were adored so openly that even girls outside of the prosperous school loved them, something she witnessed the other day at the small coffee shop.

"_Sooo_ . . ." trailed off Tsuno, looking over her shoulder at her two friends. They exchanged a silent agreement among themselves, nodding their heads once. Then their attention shifted to Ren. She continued, her voice heavy with arrogance. "If you didn't know already we also live to do what we think is best for the Host Club. There has not come a point in our chapters that forced us to protect them." Her blue eyes narrowed. "Until _now_. A tragic situation in dire need of straightening out has fallen upon our hands, and as devoted fan girls we shall prevail!"

"Tell me how could we allow such a terrible thing to occur to our prince charmings?" Kagura pressed her hands together, and looked up. Her eyes gleamed with love. "Tamaki-kun, the king to my heart, whose poetic words sweeps me off my feet and carries me into the clouds of eternal bliss." She closed her eyes and turned away, pressing her cheek to one shoulder, "I won't let it happen. I won't. He deserves every thing . . . and _more_."

"_The only thing he deserves is another kick to the jaw." _Ren mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Snapped Kagura.

The question was ignored. "I still don't see why this has anything to do with me." She explained in one breath, wanting more than anything for them to go away. They drew too much attention to her table. All eyes in the classroom were on them.

Before Tsuno could open her mouth and give Ren a lecture of how the situation had _everything_ to do with her, another voice interrupted her.

"It's because of you!"

Tsuno and Kagura started, and turned their heads to look at Mamimi who had been quiet the entire time. They were surprised by her sudden outburst.

Her breathing became labored, chest falling and raising excessively. She shut her green eyes, squeezing tightly, forcing out the following words from her mouth, "Because of you we don't spend ample time with our Host anymore! They cut the hours to only two when it used to be five! And it's your fault! You're taking him away from me!" She gasped and covered her mouth - wide eyed. Utterly shocked at what she said.

Ren blinked._ My fault?_

"Wow, Mimi,"

Behind her glasses, Mimi glanced over at the girl beside her. "What is it?" Her hands muffled her voice that had returned to its normal shy tone.

"I don't think," said Kagura, "I ever heard you raise your voice any louder than a whisper."

She looked away, blushing. "I'm sorry,"

Tsuno decided to step in and take over the situation that had clearly got out of control. She turned to Ren then, and in a serious voice she said, "We know why the Host Club has taken you under their wing. According to our sources they are getting you pretty for The Winter Ball. But our president knows your true intentions. You casted a spell on the Host Club because you want them all to yourself like the selfish witch you are."

It was Ren's turn to be surprised. "What?"

"We have proof." Before Ren began to wonder what Kagrua meant, she took out her cell phone and opened it to reveal a snapshot of Hikaru holding hands with-

It was at that moment hot fear burned from the center of her chest, spreading quickly throughout her body and turning her cheeks red. It was at that moment her hands broke out in a cold sweat. And it was at that moment she knew getting through high school unnoticed had become a dead dream.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

_No. _No!_ That's impossible._ Her heart was beating so hard she could practically hear it thumping in her chest. The least of her concerns was someone taking a picture of them that night. It was so dark outside. No person could spot a face without the help of some source of light but, lo and behold, here she saw a clear picture of Hikaru and herself with hands linked together on some strangers cell phone. Her stomach felt sick.

"What's the matter?" Taunted Kagura in mock concern. "Didn't expect us to find out?"

Several black spots materialized across her vision and she exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Was that the . . ." Ren hesitated, "only picture taken?"

They laughed at her, and an invisible weight dropped onto her shoulders. Heavy and unbalanced, Ren struggled to stay upright in her chair. The exposure was too much for her to handle. Her hands gripped the plastic chair for support.

"If you mean this is the only picture of you with our Romeo, then yes." Tsuno glanced at the phone and then at Ren, smirking evilly. "But if you mean we are the only ones who have this picture, then no. It was forwarded to almost every student in school."

"Every student in school!" Ren complexion turned a light shade of green. Sick? Nauseous sounded more like it. She felt like throwing up.

This right here was her all-time low, absolutely the worse part of her day.

Words could not describe how she felt. Okay, maybe there were a few. Shock. Disbelief. Lightheaded. Fear. Anger. Worried. Nauseous. She was heading for a meltdown. Everyone knew the Hitachiin had held her hand. This meant disaster on an epic scale. Why, because these were the consequences for hanging around dazzling creatures: encountering their groupies. She could only imagine the horrible things that would eventually come storming her way. Leave it up to the Host Club to give her a series of unfortunate events. But the nightmare doesn't end there. The whole school now believed Ren has a _thing_ for the Hitachiin twins, or, as the members of H.C.E.A put it, she used voodoo to make them fall in love with her. Either way, it was bad.

Kagura snapped her phone shut and returned it to her schoolbag. "This is solid evidence that supports our theory. Let's be honest here, neither of the Hitachiin brothers would ever dream of being with you, let alone hold hands with you - a reject, a nobody. And aren't you a member of the Black Magic Club? This gives you complete access to their black magic."

"No!" She had enough of this. "I did no such thing to the Host Club!"

"Please, stop lying to us." Mimi said. "Can't you see you already lost?"

"But I really didn't!"

"Shut up!" Demanded Tsuno firmly. Ren winced. "Stay away from our Romeos, you witch. Don't talk to them. Don't even look at them." Her voice raised a notch after each word passed through her lips, higher and higher. "We will destroy you Ren Ichihara if you refuse to follow these orders. Do we have a clear understanding with each other?"

"_My, oh my . . ."_ A chill that had nothing to do with the room temperature made the three girls of H.C.E.A shiver. "Why would anyone ever dream of destroying my . . . Ichihara-hime?"

Fear. That was the only emotion coursing through them when they turned around. No one was behind them, not even the dark voice that had spoken.

"W-w-was that a ghost?" Stammered Kagura, eyes darting the room.

"Most ghosts prefer wandering at night." Came another voice, female. "It's the undead you need to worry about . . . and _us_."

They looked forward at once and found a few members of the Black Magic Club standing around Ren's table who were not there a second ago. Nekozawa hunched his shoulders, a long grin spread across his face when he heard the girls scream in horror. To his left, poised on Ren's lab table with one leg over the other, Hisa stared wearily. The final member walked towards the frightened girls, her feet moving soundlessly on the tile floor. She carried something in her hands.

"Now hold on there." Tsuno's knees trembled. "This has nothing to do with you guys."

"That's right," Trying to sound strong failed Kagura. She swallowed, clearing away the fear in her voice, "This is a private conversation. S-so bug off."

"Please." Added Mimi.

The pale girl stopped before Tsuno, her dull eyes on the object held in her hands. At the same time the three girls gulped. Death was knocking on their doors.

"Do you truly wish to destroy Ren-chan?" The girl asked in a flat, monotonous voice.

Abruptly, Kagura and Mimi took cover behind Tsuno's back. Giving her shoulder a nudge, they encouraged her to speak for them - she was their vice-president after all. After giving them the pleasure of seeing her death glare, Tsuno resumed her attention to the one she knew as Kanazuki.

"Uh?" She was nervous. Sweat poured down her face. "I-I-I can't remember,"

Silence. Dead silence.

"Is that so?" Kanazuki lifted her head, and stared straight into the girl's wide scared blue eyes without blinking. "Please . . . accept this offer then." The object she carried was quietly placed in Tsuno's shaking hand - a Black Magic Club specially made voodoo doll.

Each girls face went white with fear. "AHHHHHHH!" They bolted from the classroom - a blur of yellow - almost bumping into a couple of students in their haste. Their wails and screams could be heard down the corridors.

"_Kukukuku~"_ chuckled the Dark Lord, amused. He held up his hand puppet, Beelzenef. "As like the rest of the students, those girls can't appreciate a good curse." He made Beelzenef fold its arms over each other, and its head shook in disapproval. "It's a shame, really."

"Indeed - even when they most deserve it." Kanazuki bent down and scooped the wooden doll up from the floor. "The poor thing. No one likes to be dropped."

"I gotta' hand it to ya Kanazuki-chan, you did great scaring off those bratty bimbos." Hisa grinned, swinging her skinny legs back and forth. "Their expressions were priceless."

Slowly Kanazuki turned her head to look at the second-year on the table. "Thank you." She said, her voice toneless.

Nekozawa loomed over Ren's shoulder like a dark shadow. "Funny how they assumed you to be the one to place a spell on their _precious_ Host Club," He said in mock sorrow, tilting his head to one side. "When you can't even go near our potions without breaking into a fit of sneezes." The puppet cat, Beelzenef, patted her consolingly on the cheek.

"Yeah," letting her head hang, Ren sighed miserably. "My allergies can be cruel to me sometimes. By now I would have used one to turn that dazzling creature into a wart on Kyouya's butt."

Hisa burst out laughing and doubled over, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "I would" - she laughed hard - "pay to see that!"

Ren gave a smile that didn't meet her eyes. She pretended to take interest in her hand, rubbing her injured thumb and finger together. A slight pain seared under the colorful band-aids. Out of the corner of her eye she snuck a quick glance at the door, and then back down at her fingers; which began to throb. She sighed, still no Hitachiin. _I wonder what is taking him so long to get to class. _She wondered what was going to happen when he finally did come in. Did he know about the picture? Should she tell him? Would he freak? Or would he dismiss the news and say, 'I don't care. Not like I should. By the way I'm leaving you responsible for the project but still get full credit for it anyway. You can deal right? Thanks.'

Her forehead came down on the table, face pressed to the cold hard surface that smelt a lot like lead pencil. She groaned, wishing to be anywhere but at school.

A short ripple of electricity flickered above Hisa's head. She turned to the girl next to her, expression serious. "Is there someoneon your mind that is bothering you, Ren-chan?"

Her pointy shoulders tensed. Hisa caught her red-handed thinking about the dazzling. Ren lifted her head a little, and glanced up at her. Three pairs of eyes stared back at her. Being the center of attention made blood rush to her cheeks. "Er, what would give you that idea?" She muttered, focusing only on Hisa's face to fade out the other two pair of eyes.

"You're electromagnetic waves are unusually strong today." Hisa explained, and slid off the table she sat on. A thin line of stress formed between her eyebrows. "I sense there is someone bothering you. Am I right?"

_Holy cow! She _is_ good._ But the fact that she knew Ren was thinking of a "someone" rather than a "something" was not such a pleasant surprise. She struggled for an answer.

"Uh . . ." She trailed, drawing a blank. Inwardly she smacked her head for something trivial. Closing her eyes helped. "I guess I didn't expect to cause trouble for the . . . for the . . ."

"The Host Club Elite Association." Kanazuki helped finish her sentence.

Ren sighed deeply, letting her forehead touch the table again. "They don't like it much when I'm with the Host Club. They think I'm out to get their _'Romeos' _as if that's the most biggest deal in my life right now."

"Is it because of that picture?" Guessed Hisa.

Ren's head snapped up, eyes wide. "You guys know about it?"

"Yes," said Kanazuki at the same time Nekozawa asked, "No."

As Hisa watched Ren let her face fall to the table for a third time, it made her regret bringing up the topic. Out of an old habit, she pulled strands of her blond hair behind her ear and squatted down next to Ren to get a better look at her face. The poor girl was pouting.

"You hate how everyone knows about that picture, huh?" She asked.

With her face still pressed against the table, she moved her head up and down. "He only took my hand so that I wouldn't run off and get myself into more trouble."

"More trouble, you say?" An eager smile grew on Nekozawa's face, silently telling her he wanted to know.

"It's a long story." She paused to lift her head, glaring reproachfully at him. "And I don't feel like talking about it."

Nekozawa frowned.

"Well, just for the record, I don't believe in the rumors." Said Hisa. "I already know they aren't true. The reason why everyone is spreading gossip is because they have nothing else better to talk about."

"I hate people," Ren moaned miserably. "I should have never let him hold my hand."

"You did nothing wrong. _They_ are to be blamed." The emotionless Kanazuki stared at the voodoo doll in her hand, turning it this way and that. "Some humans find reasons to cause others pain and suffering for their own amusement. Not once do they bother to reconsider their selfish actions." The depth of her eyes grew deeper as she spoke. "Those poor souls are what I like to call a problem. A problem that can easily be dealt with if handled properly."

"So cease your worrying because I have a feeling they won't be _a problem_ to you any longer." Nekozawa smiled darkly, obviously referring to the curse that was placed on the girls. "Who's to say what will happen. Kanazuki-hime is the only one to know."

"But I'm going to keep that a secret." There was an ominous feel to her voice. She cradled the doll in her arms like a newborn baby.

Hisa leaned into Ren's ear. "I'll tell you later about it."

"Come along now ladies, class is about to begin. Farwell, Ichihara-hime. Hope to see you soon." With that said Nekozawa made his way towards a set of black grand doors that led to their dark club. Hisa said good-bye and followed Kanazuki and Nekozawa's shadows. The door hinges creaked in protested before closing behind them.

Ren stared after them for a minute. "I don't recall seeing those doors there before."

Chattering students slowly filled up the classroom. He didn't show up. She was relieved. Facing Hikaru after everything that had happened made her stomach churn nervously. It was better he didn't come to class. She told herself that repeatedly. But somehow she couldn't get rid of the nagging thought that she was the reason for his absence. Could he have learned about the picture and was avoiding her? That jerk! This was his problem to carry too, not just hers alone. _Stupid, unreliable dazzling creature, _she mentally grumbled. Then again she could be getting worked up over nothing. Kaoru was also missing. Maybe the twin brothers had to skip Biology to be at the Host Club for one of their special events.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

As time dragged on, she thought a lot about Hikaru, and found paying attention to her professors difficult, even impracticable. Not good. School had been ranked as one of her top priorities, along with grades and maintaining a high GPA, not worrying over a boy. Boys were not going to get her into college.

_Focus, Ren. Focus._

Blinking the daze from her eyes, she forced her fingers out of their numb state and picked up the pencil. She started copying the notes from the board and then the bell rang to change classes. So much for that.

When the school day was finally done, Ren gathered her books and papers, roughly shoving them in her bag, and made her way across the room.

Outside the door to her Literature class, Haruhi was waiting for her with a sheepish look on her face, as if she knew she was about to get scolded for something. She pushed herself from the wall she was leaning against, but made no move to approach Ren - just a little bit farther away than the normal space between two people having conversation. Haruhi wanted to avoid making Ren uncomfortable.

"Hello, Ren." Haruhi's voice was equally as gentle as the smile she wore. "How are you doing today?"

She stopped in mid-step, frozen in place. Haruhi's question utterly surprised her. Making small talk? That was a first. _Come to think of it, this is the first time Haruhi has ever visited me after school._ Out of all the days she could have chosen, why choose this day? Ren frowned, suspicious.

"I'm _fine_," Her voice hung on to that last word.

"That's good." She said, not once erasing the gentle smile from her face. Her chocolate brown eyes briefly glanced over Ren's shoulder before letting them fall back on her black wary eyes. Her smile brightened. "I notice we have the same literature class, except mine is in the mornings. Did you understand Shakespeare's sonnet? I thought it was a bit confusing."

Ren bit her lip as she scrutinized the innocent look on Haruhi's face. She detected no signs of misleading. At the end she decided to go along with the conversation.

"I didn't pay attention to it, actually." She admitted, shouldering her schoolbag. "I have a lot on my mind today."

Haruhi cocked her head slightly to one side with a look of concern. Even she knew Ren took school seriously. "Are you worried about The Winter Ball?"

_That and other things._ She thought about the Host Club's band of merry men (Er, women), and the picture that gone public. She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "You can say that."

To be perfectly honest, w_orried_ wasn't the correct word for how she felt. _Terrified_ sounded better, more fitting. Perhaps going to a dance wasn't a big deal for anyone at Ouran, but it was for her. The Winter Ball would be the first dance she showed her face at. She had thought the dances at her middle school as insignificant, a meaningless occasion the principle created only to entertain and distract the students from dying out of boredom throughout the semester. Ren found studying in advance for her midterms more important. It was the excuse she gave her parents, and they couldn't argue with that.

As a result for missing out on all those years, she had no idea what to expect at Ouran's finest ball. And she absolutely hated surprises.

Her tired eyes stared down the long sunlit corridor. A boy and girl, walking way too close together to be just friends, turned the corner and wandered out of her sight. "Back in middle school, they had dances every year but I would never go to them." Ren's eyes squinted halfway. "I have better things to do than go to a stupid dance."

Haruhi took an understanding look. She could sympathize with the girl on many levels. How many times has it been that she unwillingly got dragged along on one of the Host Club's foolish escapades? More than she could count for. Over time she realized reasoning her way out of their schemes proved impossible, and decided it would be easier for her to go with the flow. Unlike herself, Ren refused to go with the flow. She fought back, swimming against the current.

"That makes two of us." Ren's eyes traveled back to Haruhi, seemingly confused. The scholarship student smiled. "Sometimes it's hard to find a peacefully place to study whenever Tamaki-Senpai or Hikaru and Kaoru are pestering me to do things with them. Honestly, they have way too much time on their hands." She paused to think for a second. "Kind of makes you wonder how they manage to A's all their exams."

"Try threatening their lives?" Suggested Ren, casually. "It works, usually. Especially on the blond dazzling creature."

_Funny how I know exactly who she's talking about, _smiling uneasily, Haruhi nodded her all she was only trying to help. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

Ren gave an awkward nod of her own. "You're welcome." Just because she wasn't much of a lady did not mean she had zero percent of manners. She had two percent.

A boisterous laugh made both first-years turn their heads. Walking out of a classroom was a small group of girls, prattling on about The Winter Ball, calling shotgun on who they planned to take as their escort. But one glance at Haruhi silenced their animated conversation. The girl with white ribbons in her hair decided to speak first, saying good afternoon to the hostess and waving her hand to catch her attention even though she was already staring.

Like the natural she was, Haruhi smiled and sincerely replied: "Good afternoon."

They giggled excitedly over that simple greeting. When they took notice of Ren their giddy expressions died, sending her evil looks. She knew why and had to look away - her face bright red like a tomato. Haruhi saw the whole thing.

"Hm, that's strange," She said to herself.

"What is?" Piped Ren, alarmed.

Haruhi blinked, confusion. She wasn't aware that Ren was listening. "Oh, nothing important."

Pressing her lips together, Ren briefly wondered if Haruhi knew about the picture as well.

"So where were you heading before I made an unexpected appearance in front of your class?" Haruhi asked.

_In search of a rock to crawl under._ But decided against it at the last second. "Straight to the Host Club." Ren muttered in a barely inaudible voice. She glanced back at the group of girls to see if they heard. Abruptly, they turned on their heels and walked away with their noses in the air.

Haruhi leaned forward. "Pardon?"

"To the Host Club." Ren said with a sigh.

"Ah, perfect." She turned to pick up her schoolbag that leaned against the wall. After shouldering the heavy bag, she flashed Ren a smile. "Mind if I walk with you?"

She didn't bother to hide the frown. "No . . . not at all." Letting her feet guide her to the Third Music Room, Ren had a hunch that this was the Host Club's plan all along: trick the dark creature into going to her appointments under the false impression of kindness.

"You didn't come to my class just to ask how I was doing." Ren couldn't help say. "Did the blond dazzling creature set this up?"

Haruhi looked back at her, surprised that she caught on so quickly, then looked away. She slowed her pace to be walking side-by-side with Ren, staring at the floor. "Well," she hesitated, "I really did wanted to know how you were doing. That part wasn't a lie. But going to your class would have never crossed my mind if Tamaki-senpai hadn't ordered me to."

_I knew it!_

"Go on." Ren probed.

"You never showed up yesterday for dance practice, and with The Winter Ball happening next week, Tamaki-senpai arranged a brief meeting on behalf of getting you prepared in time." Haruhi closed her eyes, and squeezed them, as if what she said was physically hurting her. "We made a vote, and all were in favor to send one person to escort you to the Host Club everyday after school." A sigh passed through her lips and she opened her eyes. "Which explains why I'm here."

The arrangement did not shock her at all. As much as she would hate to admit it, Ren expected this to happen. Tamaki seemed more anxious than ever before to correct her terrible manners. She figured it was only a matter of time until the third-year started to become assertive. Apparently he chose to do it today.

Her face softened then. "How wonderful." But the lack of enthusiasm in her voice made it sound more like it was an_ awful_ idea.

They walked together in silence through the crowd of afterschool rush. Ren noticed the attention she was receiving and resisted the urge to use her bag as a shield to block out the glares that bore holes into her sensitive skin. She disliked attention, always shying away into the shadows, far from the several eyes that followed her every move. It was impossible to do that with Haruhi by her side. So Ren settled in lowering her head and concentrated in putting one foot in front of the other.

When she walked through the doors of the Host Club with Haruhi - trying to keep her eyes from sweeping the place for him, and failed entirely - she saw only four members. Neither Hitachiin were among them.

No one was in costume, just an ordinary day at the club. However, something seemed rather off about the boys.

On the other side of the grand club, Hani had just finished pouring ice cubes inside a red icepack. He screwed the top on and shook the bag to spread out the ice. His cousin Mori stood behind a green silken sofa, holding a large Japanese fan. He waved the device in front of Tamaki, flinging his golden bangs from his face. The president was sprawled across the elegant sofa with one arm dangling from the edge while the other covered his eyes as if looking faint. A little ways away, sitting by himself at a table, Kyouya calculated digits from his planner. Ren wondered what things he wrote down in that little black book of his.

"Who died?" Joked Haruhi as she closed the door behind her.

Tamaki's eyes open with a start, alarmed. "Haruhi?" He gasped, turning his head to the side. The very sight of her brought a new wave of emotion to his features, transforming the weak frown into astonishment. He lurched to his feet and broke out into a run. _"H-a-r-u-h-i!"_ He cried dramatically with tears in his eyes.

The poor girl didn't get a chance to react in time. She squeaked in surprise when Tamaki threw himself at her, wrapping his long arms around her tiny body and pulling her into a bone-crushing embrace. "Oh, Haruhi I was terribly worried about you!" He wailed against her shoulder. She stayed perfectly still, wearied by her president's overemotional behavior. "When I heard the first strike of thunder last night I called you, but I kept getting your voicemail! I thought something happened to you! I felt so helpless! So I called the twins, thinking they forgot to pay your cell phone bill, BUT THEY DIDN'T ANSWER ME EIHER!" Tamaki began to bawl like a child, shaking her slightly with every bitter cry.

_Good grief,_ she sighed. "Of course no one would answer a call so late at night. Everyone is asleep. Besides, I didn't hear any thunder."

Tamaki lifted his head. His nose was running. "What?"

Placing a finger to her lips, Haruhi looked up at the ceiling as if the answer lied there. "I suppose I was extremely tired after studying that I slept through the storm."

Tamaki tried not to feel like a deflated balloon, but it was useless. His knees gave out, and he crumbled in front of her. "Oh . . ." his voice was flat, completely toneless.

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan!" She just about had time to take a paranoid glance over her shoulder before someone tackled her hard from behind. Tamaki let out a dull 'ow' when her foot tripped over his arm, sending her staggering forward. Haruhi desperately tried keeping her balance but ended up falling down anyway. Hani clung to her neck, beaming.

"Hani-Senpai?" She was surprised to see him.

"I'm so happy you're here!" He exclaimed. "Tama-chan said you've gone into shock from all the thunder! But you're okay, ne?"

Haruhi glared at her Senpai - he twitched under her burning gaze. "I'm just fantastic." She grumbled.

"You're scared of thunder?"

Everyone looked towards the doors. They had forgotten Ren was there.

"Eh-heh, I know what you're thinking," Haruhi rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish grin, "a lot of people tell me it's stupid to be afraid of thunder."

"I don't think its stupid." She said quickly.

Haruhi blinked, surprised. "Oh,"

"If it helps any," Ren said, "I'm scared of beautiful boys."

Haruhi laughed. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Ren."


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

The next morning, Ren managed to make it through school by pretending she couldn't see everyone looking at her. She didn't want to know if people were talking about her. It only brought stress and she needed to avoid that as much as possible. Too bad stress couldn't do the same for her. It found her between classes, wearing a green tutu and wings made of sheer.

"At last! I found you!"

Ren jumped with a start, and the book in her hands went flying. She twisted around. "Renge?"

"Na-ah-ah," The Host Club's manager shook a manicured finger at Ren as if to a child who done wrong and needed to be sent to a corner. "Today you shall refer to me as your fairy godmother."

Ren bent her knees to pick up the book she dropped, and stood upright. She gave Renge a good long look, and then snorted. "You look more like Tinker Bell. And don't fairy godmothers carry a wand-thingamajig?"

"I have no need for a wand." She smirked as if she knew Ren would ask. "Because I grant wishes differently."

She raised an eyebrow. "You grant wishes?"

Renge nodded. "I can grant any wish you desire."

"In that case, I wish for you to disappear." Said Ren.

"Very funny, Ichihara." Renge narrowed her eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Just so you know, it's impossible to wish your fairy godmother away. In fact, I made it impossible, so there."

Opening the book in her hand, Ren began to read to herself. Maybe Renge would leave her alone if she was ignored . . .

"Okay, I've been looking for you all morning." Renge leaped forward, the tiny bells seamed to her tutu jingled. "We need to talk."

Fat chance.

"No, we don't need to talk." Ren sidestepped in the other direction, putting some distance between them. "Now go away. I don't need more attention drawn to me. I have enough to last me till graduation."

"But that's what I need to talk to you about!" Excited, Renge extended her arms out and accidently hit a guy passing by. He glared when she didn't apologize. "Remember my theory, the one with you falling in love with the prettiest boy in school? It's happening! But I never expected it to be one of the Hitachiin brothers. I mean, they're so popular, and picky, and over and beyond every ones level. At first I thought it would be-"

"I'm not falling in love with anyone." Hissed Ren through her teeth. "And you need to find a new hobby because embarrassing me will only get you ten feet underground . . . maybe six-and-a-half if I'm in a good mood."

Renge thrilled a long, pearling laugh.

"What?" Ren growled.

"You're in denial." She said in a singsong voice.

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"I am not!" Ren slammed her cherry wood locker closed with unnecessary force. "Love is for the blind. And I have 20/20 vision."

The five-minute grace bell rang. Grumbling under her breath, Ren stomped off and turned at the first corner, ignoring everyone around her. She disliked Renge with a burning intensity of a thousand suns for distracting her from coming up with an excuse to escape to the nurse's office for the remainder of school. Now she had to face Hikaru thanks to her _fairy godmother_.

As she followed the corridor that led to Biology - the one place in the world she feared and detested - she eventually forgot all about Renge. The anger slowly disappeared, replaced with the cold rush of fear. What was she going to do upon arriving to class? No way could she face him yet. Was it still too late to make a run for it to the nurse's office and fake a stomachache?Her heart thundered like a train was about to hit her. It got worse and worse the closer she got to the door, and when she finally got there she froze where she stood.

Hikaru wasn't in class.

The tardy bell rang, bringing her mind back to school. Everyone stared at her. She closed her gapping mouth and made her way to her empty table, her eyes on her feet.

At this point she was certain he learned about the picture. Why else would he skip school? The exposure scared him away, leaving her to deal with the problem. She felt betrayed.

Somehow, she found herself comparing Hikaru to the boy she confessed her love to in middle school. They both abandoned her while the whole school ate her alive. Neither one made an effort to help.

_Why am I acting so surprised? Of course he would do this. He wouldn't care if I was feeling embarrassed, or miserable. I am what those girls said - I'm a nobody. He wouldn't care about a nobody. And in return, I won't care about him._

It was then the professor walked in the classroom. Ren sat upright in her chair. For the moment, she shoved all thoughts and concerns to the back of her head and placed her full attention on her Sensei.

Putting off your worries for so long may clear the mind, but only for temporarily. One way or the other, they always resurface. And you might not like the results.

* * *

The lesson for the day entailed the value of dinning etiquette . . . hooray _(mild sarcasm)._ Ren's eyebrow twitched as she tried focusing on her task before her but found the smirk he wore very distracting - so distracting she had the sudden urge to rip it off his face. Impossible? Not unless you had a scalpel, and since Ren did not own one she settled with using her imagination. Why was he smirking so much? Teaching someone how to eat could not be that amusing. Was it because she had yet to throw a fit and run away? That was definitely the reason. Luckily for him, if the fancy-looking food provided for her training didn't taste this delicious then out the door she would go before you could say Super-Cali-Fragil-listic-Expi-Ali-Docious.

_Okay, I got this._ She took in a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders. Ren raised the large spoon to her lips, and slurped.

Then, for the fifteenth time that day, Kyouya hit her over the head with a rolled up newspaper.

"Ow!" Cried Ren reflexively, dropping the spoon she held to rub her throbbing skull. "What did I do _now_?"

"It's impolite to make a sound while eating your soup." He was characteristically calm. "Try again."

Ren slumped back in her chair, staring apprehensively at the set of utensils in front of her. They all looked alike with a minor shape difference. She gritted her teeth and reached for the spoon closest to her bowl of soup.

There was a sharp rap across her crown.

Kyouya smirked. "Wrong spoon."

"Stop hitting me!" She barked. "I know it's paper but it still hurts!"

He gave her a look of weary. "It's been well over an hour and you haven't rectified your table manners, or try to at least. So until your brain absorbs the proper way to eat soup, I have the right to hit you over the head as much as I want."

She glared at him. "Maybe the reason why I haven't learned anything is because you keep whacking it out of me."

"It occurred to me barely, but do you always blame others for your own faults?" He asked her suddenly, enjoying the look on her face.

Caught by surprise, Ren stammered a few times before coming up with a good excuse. "No."

Okay, maybe not so convincing after all.

Kyouya smirk only grew winder at her lack of a better response. He crossed his arms over his chest, and lifted his chin a little. "Lair."

Embarrassed, she looked down at the steaming contents swimming inside the fine dishware. Kyouya's assumption got her thinking. Did she blame people for her mistakes?

"I guess I do blame people sometimes," she paused, and then seemed to remember something. Her brows came together. "Then again, sometimes the mistakes made can be that _persons_ fault. They might do it on purpose too, like let his friends see how ugly I am by exposing my face, or do things just because he finds blood coming out of my nose hilarious" - her voice was raising, and Kyouya got the impression that she was talking about a particular person in mind - "or drag me across town by my hand so that everyone can see and crucify me for it the next day. And you know what?" She looked up at Kyouya then, eyes blazing. "I think I _should_ be blaming Hikaru for those reasons. I mean I am suffering for them after all!" Abruptly Ren stood up from her chair, and threw her napkin on the table. "The least he could do is come out of hiding and help shoulder the humiliation!"

Face flaming scarlet, she stormed away from Kyouya without saying anything else.

"How could he when he's sick in bed?"

That made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Hikaru is sick?" Tamaki voiced her thoughts out loud. And because he blurted this everyone in the room found out.

Hani was peeking around Mori's elbow with wide worried eyes. "How sick is Hika-chan?" He hugged his favorite stuffed rabbit close to his chest, preparing for the worse. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Kaoru called in this morning saying he and Hikaru won't be attending school again." Kyouya adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Apparently Hikaru caught the cold. He isn't getting any better."

Everyone gasped, except for Ren. She kept her back facing the group - silent, motionless.

"How on earth did Hikaru catch the cold?" Tamaki scratched his head, looking puzzled.

"It's December. Flu season. People get sick." Kyouya said slowly like Tamaki was mentally handicapped. "The possibilities are endless."

"I'm aware of that, but think about it. When was the last time you saw Hikaru sick?" Tamaki asked, trying to prove his point. No one responded, at least not right away. "Never, right? He's always been the healthy one among the rest of us. It's just shocking for me to hear he's sick with a cold."

Haruhi looked bored. "He's only human."

"Or _is_ he?" Tamaki questioned her.

She shot him a glare._ "Senpai!"_

"Joking. Joking." He told her with a smile. Secretly he wasn't joking.

Sounds of footfalls in the large quiet room made the group look back. It wasn't time for their designators to come in. The Host Club had ten minutes to spare. Rather seeing a blushing young lady in a yellow uniform, they found a girl wearing a black one. It was Ren, heading towards the doors. Before any of them could get a single exclamation out, she left the room.

Once outside in the hall, and finally by herself, Ren took that moment to think. She didn't worry about them coming after her. Tamaki and everyone else needed to get themselves ready for the arrival of their designators. Her training for that day was over. They couldn't do anything now.

"The dazzling creature was sick this whole time?" She whispered to herself while staring at the floor, thinking. "Could it be a set up, created only to evade dealing with everyone and their questions?" Hikaru would do that. It wasn't fair. He had to be the one to tell everyone that the picture was a huge misunderstanding. Not her. No one believed her.

Chattering voices interrupted her in mid-brooding, and from the sound of it, the voices belonged to a large group of girls - the designators, probably. Without giving her guess a second thought, Ren walked fast in the other direction. Best to keep away from the Third Music Room around the public eye. Whether the curse of Kanazuki worked or not, another confrontation with the Host Club's army of devotees was something she had to steer clear from. They brought her nothing but problems, as if she didn't have enough in her life already.

One thing was for sure, if he didn't have the guts to come clean, then he left her with no choice. She planned on executing the same method he used on her that sunny day at the Caribbean, the only method that seemed to work.

Force.


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

******Chapter Twenty-One**

In a large classroom sat its students who gave their undivided attention to the teacher. He lifted his arm and began to write a math problem on the board. Each student copied the problem down. All but one. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to even notice class started five minutes ago.

_The morning is going by leisurely. _Haruhi stared out the classroom window. There wasn't much to see. Frost had build up on the glass, making it difficult to see pass it into the courtyard. Even so, not once did she avert her gaze. That night the Host Club planned to present The Winter Ball. Being the son of the Superintendent, it was to no one's surprise that Tamaki was given permission to be in charge of the event. He and Kyouya made hundreds of arrangements to make the Winter Ball a magical experience for the students of Ouran Academy. And, of course, they succeeded. One thing was for sure, the ball was going to take everyone's breath away. Although everything was ready and set for that night, there was still one more thing Tamaki had yet to check off his list and that was to change Ren Ichihara into a well, respectful lady. Ren skipped her lessons in the past couple of days. Escorting her to the Host Club was the last time Haruhi saw her. This only caused Tamaki problems. The thought of failure drove him into a state of depression. Haruhi wished to help her Senpai, but didn't know how.

"Fujioka," called the professor.

The sudden announcement of her name made Haruhi snap out of her reverie. Alarmed, she quickly took a stand with hands pressed firmly by her side. "Yes, sir!" She said a little too loud, closely resembling a solider reporting back to her General. Some students giggled.

"You're the student who got accepted into Ouran Academy with a scholarship, correct?" He asked with a friendly smile, peering at her over the rim of his glasses.

All eyes in the room were on her at that point. Her cheeks flushed a little. "Er . . . y-yes, sir."

"Do me a favor then. Can you please take the Homeroom attendance sheet to the main office? I forgot to sent it out before class started." He walked over to his desk and picked up a manilla folder. "Since you must have done this many times in the public schools, I assumed you wouldn't mind."

Haruhi relaxed a little. "No, not at all."

* * *

"Here's the attendance sheet for Mr. Hinajima."

Haruhi gave the attendance folder to the secretary at the front desk who happily took it off her hands. "Thank you so much, handsome." The lady in her mid-forties placed the folder on top of a stack of papers before returning to the computer screen.

Haruhi stiffened a smile.

Once stepping out the main office, she walked over to the waiting area and, upon seeing the love seats, decided not to rush back to class. She sat down on the plush cushions with a sigh. Putting her elbows on her knees, she leaned forward and rested her chin on her palms. It was hard not to wander off into her head when she was alone. She worried about Tamaki. Her Senpai worked so hard, putting all his effort and energy into changing Ren for the Winter Ball only to watch everything crash and burn at the end.

_Tamaki-senpai had good intentions,_ she thought as she stared at the coffee table in front of her with a floral center piece, _he wanted to help Ren feel more confident about herself. Yet, she desires no such help._

Perhaps she should have a talk with Ren. A few words of encouragement might be the push Ren needed to be more acceptable to changing her unhealthy habits. It was worth a shot!

Movement ahead made Haruhi look up. That was when she recognized the person stepping out of a room on the other side of the enormous lobby. Without thinking at all, Haruhi threw herself behind the love seat the moment he looked her way. _Well, this was a stupid idea._ _He probably saw me._ But a peek from behind the love seat proved that the student was unaware he was being watched. Something about the way he searched his surroundings just before turning the corner, as if making sure no one was following him, made the strings of curiosity pull at Haruhi's feet. She forgot all about Algebra and stalked Kaoru down the corridor.

As she mentally prepared herself to take on a role of a ninja, Haruhi went over the basic rules for stalking someone. Rule #1: Don't walk close behind to the person. With that in mind, she made sure to put a careful distance between herself and Kaoru, about twenty feet away. Rule #2: Step only on your toes to minimize the sound of your footfalls. So she pursued lightly on her toes, bending her knees a bit to make walking easier. Sometimes there was the occasional wary glances behind his shoulder, but that's where Rule #3 came in: Make sure you know your surroundings. In case the person you are following turned around, you are able to hide behind objects. In this situation there were no said objects. However, there were plenty of corners. Haruhi quickly took cover behind a corner before being caught by the ever intuitive Kaoru Hitachiin.

After climbing a flight of stairs, and walking through three corridors, it took her a good fifteen minutes to figure out where she was heading. _But what business does Kaoru have on the school roof?_

He opened the door that led to the roof tops and walked through it without a moment of hesitation. Haruhi held her breath at the corner, unsure whether or not to continue following the Hitachiin. Students were prohibited from going on the roof. Detention would be a difficult stain to remove from her permanent record.

"But I wonder . . ." And with that said, she hustled across the hall, opened the door and went inside.

There was a short stairway to follow before she found another door with a sign that read EXIT. When she pushed through it she was greeted with a bright yellow light. The sun was out, positioned high in the sky. Clouds touched the horizon, but a large patch of blue was visible in the middle, allowing the sun to shine bravely in its halo of blue sky. A cold breeze bit at Haruhi's cheeks, nose. She wrapped her arms over her chest instantly. How high up was she? By the look of things, she guessed about ten or eleven stories. She began to look for Kaoru. The snow that collected on the roof tops was already melting from the sun's heat, turning into mushy clumps of white. She sloshed through the snow, getting her shoes wet. It didn't take long for Haruhi to spot the Hitachiin. She quickly hid behind a corner. Kaoru was standing close to the edge of the building, and across his way was someone dressed in a black customized cloak. There was only one student in Ouran Academy who had that . . .

"I'm glad to see you received my note." A pale hand reached up and pulled back the hood that covered her face. Long strands of hair flooded out, flowing freely behind her back like gold in the air. Hisa tilted her head to the side with a sly smile. "And that you followed through with my request. Good job!"

"This better be important." Kaoru grumbled, digging his hands deep inside his pocket to keep them warm. "I'm supposed to be in class right now."

Hisa looked at him in mock surprise, placing a hand over her cheek. "Oh, of course. I forget that you're _such_ a nerd!" She giggled, waving him off. "You crack me up, Hitachiin."

Kaoru looked offended. No girl has ever made fun of him in that way. "It's freezing up here. Why did you choose a bizarre place to meet?"

The carefree empath ignored the Hitachiin's question, and made her way to the edge of the building. A surprised gasp got strangled by Kaoru's lips when he saw Hisa hop onto the ledge with one foot. Bringing her arms out in front of her for balance, she treaded along the sidelines as if she were walking on a street curb rather eleven stories up in the sky. She glanced back at him, grinning. The Hitachinn glared.

"I'm sorry. You were saying?" She asked innocently.

"Did it not occur to you that we could have also met up in the halls?" And in a much lower voice, he added: "Like normal people."

An evil smirk grew on her porcelain face. "What's the matter, Hitachiin? Are you afraid that I'll . . ." she extended her arm and pointed at him with her hand formed into a gun, "_zap_ you with electricity?"

The color on his face drained. "Er . . . no."

This made her laugh aloud, which in turn caused her to almost loose her footing. She cleared her throat and decided to step down from the edge. "You should consider yourself lucky for I am not in the zapping mood today." Hisa reassured, the smirk never leaving her face. "And to answer your previous question, I arranged to meet with you here for a good reason. This is the one place where I know no one will eavesdrop on our conversation."

"Eavesdrop?" Kaoru repeated, raising an eyebrow.

When a cold wind blew her hair in front of her face, Hisa placed the golden strands mixed with purple behind one ear. "Listen to me carefully," All signs of playfulness had vanished, replaced with a serious expression. "I understand that tonight is The Winter Ball, and if I'm not mistaken, it is also when the Host Club presents Ren Ichihara as a _lady_."

Kaoru rolled his eyes, annoyed that the secret meeting was about Ren. "So what,"

"So," Hisa said. "You do realize the entire female body will destroy Ren if she is seen with you guys at the ball, right?"

He made a face. "Why would they want to destroy Ren?"

"Have you been brain dead these past few days?" Hisa decided to shed some light on the clueless Hitachiin. She explained everything, leaving nothing out: How the whole school found out that Hikaru and Ren held hands, the picture, the Host Club Elite Association plotting to destroy Ren if seen with the Host Club. Kaoru felt overwhelmed when she was done. "No one will listen to Ren, that's why your brother needs to fix the problem."

The youngest Hitachiin stared at the empath for a long time, all the while thinking over the mess his brother got himself into, or rather, what Ren got him into. "This isn't fair." He responded sternly, curt. "I see no reason to place the burden on my brother when the real problem is Ren. He lies sick in bed with a fever, how do you expect him to do anything."

Giving up was not in Hisa's vocabulary. "Then you do it for him." She said earnestly.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed. "I have better things to do." And with that, he gave Hisa his back as he walked away.

She had sensed, from the moment he came through those doors, that he would react ill mannered. But, as mentioned before, Hisa never gave up. "You hate that she might take Hikaru away from you." She spoke slowly.

Those words froze Kaoru in place. At first he was surprised, but then anger overpowered the emotion almost instantly. He turned his head slightly to the side. "I didn't give you permission to read my thoughts."

"I cannot read a person's mind. I can only perceive the emotions generating from their aura. And your aura is dense . . . they look like flames. So it's not hard to put two-and-two together." A chilled wind tossed Hisa's blonde and purple hair around her face. "Ren really needs your help. She may be too proud to admit it, but I'm not."

Kaoru was silent.

"You're her only hope." Continued Hisa, desperately trying to change the Hitachiin's stubborn mind. Kaoru gathered himself together, and without so much of another word, walked onward. When the Hitachiin exit the roof tops, Hisa sighed and pulled strands of hair behind one ear. "You can come out now . . . Haruhi."

A struck of shock passed across Haruhi's face. _Busted. _Reluctantly she stepped out from behind the corner with cheeks flushed. Thinking quick, she pretended to claim ignorant. "Hi, Hisa. I didn't see you there. Don't mind me, I was simply up here looking for a good signal on my cellphone." She giggled nervously. "These darn devices are hopeless sometimes."

Hisa crossed her arms over her chest, smiling with a knowing expression. "You heard all of that, didn't you?"

"Heard what?" Haruhi felt stupid. Even though she knew it was impossible to outwit Hisa, a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend a person's state of emotions, she still couldn't seem to stop herself from lying. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm glad you were here to catch our conversation." Hisa said somberly. "Maybe you can talk sense into your friends." She started toward the door, boots crunching through the mushy snow.

When the empath was out of sight, Haruhi released the breathe she hadn't realized she was holding. Did Hisa just placed Ren's fate into her hands? Haruhi closed her eyes and thought about that question. She nodded her head. Yes . . . yes, she did. Feeling incredibly exhausted suddenly, she walked over to the end of the building where Hisa and Kaoru had once stood. Several minutes passed while Haruhi rested on the ledge with her chin upon her arms, watching the world below through tired brown eyes.

"What could I do? It's not like people listen to me either." Haruhi said to herself. She pondered over the possibilities of her friends at the Host Club agreeing to fix the problem. The longer she thought about it, the less likely it sounded. "Maybe if Tamaki-Senpai . . . um, no . . . Hani and Mori could quickly . . . no, that won't work."

She sighed. "This is so troublesome,"

The sound of a door opening made Haruhi spin around, and she couldn't believe her eyes.

Standing only a few feet away, and wearing a cloak over her black school uniform was none other than Ren Ichihara. When Ren removed the hood, she finally noticed Haruhi. The two Ouran students silently stared at each other for a long while.

And then Ren screamed.

"Wait! Don't leave!"

Haruhi extended her hand outward at the same time Ren turned for the door. Due to her haste, the poor girl slipped on ice and fell back with a yelp. Her head banged the floor hard enough to fill the world with fireworks. She laid there, stunned.

Haruhi rushed over. "Are you all right?" She asked, careful not to get too close. Ren was not a fan of people invading her personal space, especially those of the Host Club.

Groaning in discomfort, Ren slowly hauled herself upright. "I'm doing great," She lied, and looked up at the cross dresser scholar. "What are you doing here? I thought only members of the Black Magic Club had access to the rooftops."

"It's a long story." Haruhi smiled nervously. "So . . . is this where you've been hiding these past few days?"

Ren stood up from the cold, wet floor. "It used to be. Now, I must find a new hide out." There was no humor in Ren's voice, only annoyance.

Haruhi shifted uneasily in her place. "Forgive me for putting you through the trouble. However, I'm actually happy that I bumped into you. There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Is it about me not showing up at the Host Club after school," Ren guessed.

Haruhi shook her head in disagreement. At that moment, she had gained the scary girl's interest. _Now is the perfect time to convince Ren to change her habits. It was now or never. You can do this, Haruhi. _"About a year ago, before becoming an official member of the Host Club, my first impression was a bunch of pompous, imprudent rich goons. But as I spent more time with them, I slowly got the chance to know them better. My whole perspective about this group of guys had changed. At the end, I grew to appreciate the Host Club. I learned the club is based on making people feel happier, and that's why Tamaki-Senpai is so driven to help you. You have this mentality that you're below everyone because you say you're ugly." She paused. Then, in a much stronger voice, she continued. "Well, snap out of it! You're inner beauty is what matters. We try to make you see this, but you become defensive to those who are only trying to help you."

Ashamed, Ren looked down at her feet. She realized that was mostly true.

"We are not bad people set on to destroy your life." Haruhi smiled to gentle her words. "At the Host Club, we believe you can surprise everyone by changing into a more confident woman. But it has to come out of you."

"Me? Change?" Ren seemed dubious. For so long she had only known how to be a dark creature. Could it be possible to transfer into the light with a little effort?

"Someone once told me it's the most unhappy people who fear change." Said Haruhi.

Haruhi thought she saw Ren's eyes widen in surprise, but the emotion was gone the moment she blinked. Her face returned to its emotionless mask - blank as a sheet of paper, unable to read.

"I see," Ren really did see.

"Does this mean you will meet us half way?" Haruhi asked almost hopeful.

She didn't answer right away. "What if I'm unable to come through? What if . . . I make matters worse?"

"That's okay." Haruhi smiled pleasantly. "Keep trying until you achieve your goal."

"Easier said than done." Mumbled Ren. "I'm not perfect like you."

"No one is perfect in this world." Corrected Harihi. "We each have our own little imperfections and that's what makes us unique."

"Beautiful creatures are imperfect?" Ren asked, shocked.

Haruhi nodded her head. "Even beautiful creatures. According to the twins, I'm oblivious when a boy is confessing his love to me."

Ren's mind went blank with surprise. It took her a second to recover enough to respond. "Er, but you're a boy. Why would boys confess their love to you?"

Haruhi stared at her for a moment.

"Oh! I forgot you weren't supposed to know my little secret. Senpai isn't going to like this." In spite of herself Haruhi laughed, further confusing the girl in front of her. Placing a finger to her chin, she thought aloud. "Well, I guess there's not much I can do about it now that the cat is out of the bag."

Ren didn't know what to say.

"How can I say this . . . I guess there's only one way to put it." She met her puzzled gaze, and smiled cheerfully. "I'm a girl."

It was absolutely silent for one long second before Ren's eyes rolled back into her head. She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Oh, gee! Oh, man! I actually updated WAHOOO!

Your reviews made me laugh, especially The Sixth Child Eva-04 :) I appreciate your willing to stick around even though I've been neglecting you all. (blame my professors, their crabby little things who enjoy giving me tons and tons of ridiculous assignments) Thank you for being such great readers, guys!

On another note, and a very good one if I may add, I already started the next chapter! So be ready for a new update pretty soon. What do you think will happen now that Ren knows Haruhi's secret? And will Kaoru change his mind? Guess there's only one way to find out . . . Bwahaha! Until next time.

Have a wonderful day everyone!


	22. Chapter TwentyTwo

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

* * *

_"What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, __good things can happen . . . but only if she lets them."_

-_Elizabeth Scott_

* * *

"WHAT? You did what?!"

In the Host Club, Hani sat next to his tall companion, and favorite cousin, Mori at a table filled with all sorts of tasty goodies. They patiently observed Tamaki as he barked at Haruhi like a disappointed father. Well, Mori was doing most of the observing while his short cousin took care of the colorful cupcakes.

Her lips pressed firmly together into a thin line was the only sign of frustration noticeable on Haruhi's face. She pretended to busy herself with the unconscious Ren by covering her with a blanket. In her heart, she saw no wrong in her actions. Tamaki was just overreacting. Again. So, she did her best in ignoring his frantic remarks.

"How could you reveal your secret like that? And to her, of all people!" Tamaki raised his voice when he realized his "daughter" still wasn't looking at him. When Haruhi did not reply, he marched around the sofa with Ren sprawled on top, legs dangling over the armrest. Haruhi quickly stood up from the floor and went straight to the nearest table before he could reach her. Tamaki made a face. The nerve! "Do you realize what you've done?" He shouted, panic clear as day in his voice.

"_Yes,_" She said with a tone, annoyed that he was getting upset over something so small. When she reached the table, she purposely chose the chair that gave Tamaki her back and took a seat. "I accidently told Ren that I'm a girl. It's not a big deal, Senpai."

"Not a big deal? Not a big _deal_?!"

"Yes, that is what I said."

There was the sound of feet stomping on the floor. Heavy breathing. And then-

She squeaked in surprise when someone brought their hands down on the table. It shook violently. That caught everyones attention. Even Hani stopped in mid-chew to see what was going on. Her eyes trailed up the long arm, broad pointy shoulder, and stopped at a pair of amethyst eyes. This time, she did not suppress the scowl from overruling her face when she found Tamaki glaring back at her.

"Of course its a big deal!" He said. "No one is supposed to know you're a girl disguised as a boy. Especially Ren!"

Brown eyes narrowed. "Why not? What's the worse that can happen?"

"Oh, there is plenty of reasons to keep your gender hidden from Miss Ichihara."

Lounging across the table with a leg over the other, and drinking from a cup of freshly brewed coffee, was Kyouya Ootori. It was rare to find the third-year without a calculator or planner booklet on his person, engaging in some covert assignment to gain personal benefits. He regarded them with a cool and collective expression that Haruhi always found disturbing.

She looked dubious. "Like what, Kyouya-Senpai?"

Kyouya took another sip.

"It's not rocket science, Haruhi." He said and set the cup down on the table. "There is a high possibility that Miss Ichihara might threaten to reveal your secret to everyone if we do not leave her alone. If we disagree, she will spread the truth about your gender and you can no longer be a member of this organization. This will be a problem since you haven't paid off your debt to the Host Club."

That was a problem. She sat contemplating her thoughts with careful precision. And then she got it! "In that case, I can find some other way to pay you guys back - maybe work part-time at the super market in town." A big smile overtook her face. "Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I can finally get some well deserved alone time."

While the commoner daydreamed about spending her free time in the public library reading a book or finally getting her chores done at home in peace, the rest of the club members were unsettled by her light response to the situation. One member in particular took it to a whole new level.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Tamaki grabbed Haruhi by the shoulders and shook her twice. Three times. Four times. But Haruhi paid no attention. She was locked in her head of happiness. He groaned in exasperation.

"What do we do? Haru-chan might leave us for good!" Shouted Hani, wanting to show how devastated he really felt about the news. However, the rainbow sprinkles and pink frosting hanging from his cheeks made him look cute more than anything.

"Ah," Agreed Mori.

"I am not finished,"

Kyouya continued when all eyes were on him. "If we do agree to leave Miss Ichihara alone, then Tamaki will not get the chance to change her into a confident lady. Therefore, she may never be happy with herself. He will fail as a Host, and everything he stands for."

Realization struck through Haruhi at that moment, popping her bubble of happiness right in front of her face. _Oops._ She had forgotten about that.

"Oh no," Hani voiced Haruhi's own thoughts.

"Do you see now?" Tamaki stepped back from a slightly shaken Haruhi without breaking eye contact. "I cannot stress how much trouble you got us into. And on the same night of the Winter Ball."

She really messed up things this time. At that moment, guilt planted itself heavy on Haruhi's shoulders. She lowered her eyes on the table, ashamed to look at anyone directly in the face. "I had no idea . . ." Haruhi mumbled.

"Ren is awake." Mori said.

Everyone turned around. Silence swept over the room when they watched Ren pull back the wool blanket and sit upright. Her dark eyes were deep and filled with awareness as she stared at the members of the Host Club. Haruhi's shoulders tensed when her cold gaze fell on her.

"How long have you been listening to us?" Tamaki could not help asking.

Ren shifted her dark, cold eyes to the club president.

"Long enough."

* * *

**A/N: **Wahooo! Christmas break 2012! At least for me it is. I am done with finals, and more than ready to kick back and relax . . . and finish writing my personal statement for masters program. *sigh* Oh, well :)

Anyways, I posted this chapter as an early christmas gift to you faithful readers. I was feeling festive after baking cookies for my pre-k students, and thought 'hey, why stop there!' I want to thank those of you who took the liberty in reviewing. I never imagined so many people would like my story. I am humbly honored to be on your favorite list. COOKIES TO ALL!

Happy holidays everyone!


	23. Chapter TwentyThree

**Chapter TwentyThree**

* * *

_"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years."_

_-Audrey Hepburn_

* * *

Long enough.

Although those two words were simple enough, they impacted Tamaki's chest with great force like none other he ever experienced. But it did not stop there. It went straight through him, penetrating his heart like a knife - slicing through leathery arteries and tough muscles - before coming out between his shoulder blades. Tamaki staggered a bit. _So this is what it feels like to take a hit, _he thought to himself. Several frightful thoughts crossed Tamaki's mind, and he wished they hadn't. The outcome of this was unavoidable. How could they be so careless and forget Ren was in the same room? They practically handed her the keys to ultimate freedom. And the look on her face told him she knew. Tamaki feared the worst. They were going to loose Ren. And there was no way out of it.

Or was there?

As the silence grew thick in the third music room, a lightbulb turned on somewhere in Tamaki's head. Realization brighten his eyes. There was no time to think over it. He acted on a whim, running over to Ren on the sofa. She squeaked in surprise when Tamaki threw his long arms around her stomach for an unexpected embrace.

Everyone gasped.

With eyes closed he waited for the struggle, the kicking, the hollering, the hair pulling. Anything! But there was nothing. Peeking one eye open, he carefully glanced up to find Ren glaring down at him. He gulped. She . . . wasn't fighting him?

"What are you doing?" she demanded slowly.

"Eheh . . . hoping to see if you would faint?" Tamaki smiled sheepishly.

Sitting by the table, Haruhi smacked her own forehead. "Idiot," she groaned.

Slowly, Ren lifted her hand and placed it against the side of Tamaki's face. For a split second he thought Ren was going to smooth out his bangs. Dark eyes narrowed, fingers pinched soft skin. "Be gone, dazzling creature," she growled between clenched teeth, mercilessly peeling Tamaki off her body like a sticker.

"Owie! Owie! Owie!" He cried out in pain.

"There's no use in trying to make her faint, Boss." Said another voice. Everyone watched Kaoru casually saunter into the third music room with hands in his pockets. He regarded his flustered president with indifference. "That only works on Hikaru."

Tamaki gave the Hitachiin a questionable look. "How come?"

"It's a dark creature thing, I guess." Kaoru shrugged his shoulders.

Even though no one was looking, Kyouya put on a knowing smirk. A glare reflected off the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

Tamaki thought about that while messaging the red mark on his cheek that Ren left behind. And then it hit him! He swiftly turned around. "Wait! You can tolerate my closeness?" He asked Ren, seemingly surprised.

"Grudgingly." Ren muttered, and stood up from the sofa. She dusted her cloak to rid any bright creature residue before looking at them all. "I haven't forgotten about what I just heard. I believe you know what I desire."

"You desire to go with us to the ball?" Hopefully asked Hani.

"To be left alone in exchange to keep Haruhi's gender a secret." Corrected Ren.

Hani sighed in disappointment. _It was worth a shot,_ thought the short fourth year.

Unable to hold up his own weight anymore, Tamaki leaned against the sofa's armrest. Haruhi watched helplessly from a distance as sadness rearrange her Senpai's features. She could almost see a grey cloud billow out above his head. Thunder mumbled and small droplets sprinkled down. She blinked, and the ominous cloud vanished.

"This is all my fault," she whispered to herself low enough for only her ears.

"You know," started Tamaki as he glanced up to meet Ren's black eyes, "the treatment process was only the start for helping you reach a higher goal. I hoped once you saw how pretty you looked in the mirror that you would be driven to be more confident in yourself." Ren rubbed her arm self-consciously. "Despite all our efforts, you still refuse to see what we see."

_A monster? A blackhead on the nose of life's shiny complexion?_ "See what, exactly?" Ren asked her Senpai after a moment of thinking.

Without hesitation, Tamaki answered, "That you're our friend."

Her eyes widen. That wasn't what she expected to hear. Ren had to look away. "You're _only_ saying that because my aunt is paying you."

"That's not true." Tamaki said in his uncharacteristic solemn expression that only appeared when he was being serious. "Whether you like it or not, we care about you."

"Yuppie yup! No matter what people think or say, we'll stand by your side." Hani chirped happily. "Cause that's what friends do for each other."

Mori stepped forward. "That's right."

"The world is filled with mean people." Haruhi stood up from her chair. She smiled gently at Ren. "Why not surround yourself with good hearted people?"

"Of course," Kyouya said, "in order to appreciate the company of others, you must first appreciate yourself."

She was at a loss of words. _Creatures of the light are willing to be my friend?_ A curtain of black hair covered her face when she lowered her head. The hands by her sides curled into tight fists, trying with all her might not to cry in front of the host club. The laws of the universe somehow shifted, changed and created a bridge to allow dark creatures the chance to cross onto the lands of the bright ones. At last, these two complete opposite creatures could be together in harmony . . . without fear . . . and evidently, accepting each others differences.

Memory of her hand being held in Hikaru's appeared in her mind. Ren inhaled deeply. _Why am I thinking about him at this moment?!_

It became too much for Ren to handle. She placed one foot behind the other - slow, hesitant. Then she carefully moved the other foot back. Until finally she twirled around and ran out the doors.

No one said anything.

No one went after her.

"Saw that one coming a mile away," Kaoru folded his arms over his chest, shaking his head.

Tamaki stared at the doors looking dejected.

"Give her time," Kyouya reassured his president. "As for now, we should get ready for The Winter Ball."

* * *

Ren did not stop running when she burst through the doors of the third music room. The sound of her shoes clicking on polished tile floors echoed in the empty hallways of Ouran Academy. Everyone had gone home early to prepare for the ball. She turned at the first corner, catching herself from almost slipping, and broke into a sprint toward the exit. Her heart pounded hard against her chest as she ran for all she was worth. But louder than the sound of her rapid heartbeat was the many voices that replayed inside her head.

_**-". . . we care about you."**_

_**-"No matter what people think or say, we'll stand by your side. Cause that's what friends do for each other."**_

_**-"Why not surround yourself with good hearted people?"**_

_**-". . . in order to appreciate the company of others, you must first appreciate yourself."**_

At that moment, Ren squeaked when she tripped over her own feet and fell forward. She didn't bother getting up from the floor this time. Her limbs refused to move because she did not know what to do with herself. How could she have been oblivious to the host club's kindness? They waved it in front of her face, yet Ren was blinded by her own ignorance and stubborn disposition to even notice.

"Should I go against my oath to the darkness this once," silent tears trailed down her face, "to face the legions of the host club's crazy fans . . . and attend The Winter Ball . . . for them?"

"Not looking like that, you aren't." Answered a voice.

Ren lifted her head. Standing not too far away was Hisa Umeke, and Nekozawa Umehito. Beelzenef waved. It was then she realized how wonderful it felt to have someone to rely on for help. The host club and the black magic club all cared about her. She smiled brightly at the thought. And just like that she wasn't afraid to be seen at the Ball.

Nekozawa approached the lost girl on the floor, offering her his free hand. "Do not weep anymore, my lady,"

She allowed the Dark Lord to help lift herself onto her feet.

"Are you ready to blow everyone away?" Hisa asked with a wink.

Ren bit down on her lower lip. "I hope so,"

* * *

**A/N:** BAM! It's 2:24am on this side of the world and I posted yet another chapter for you. See what happens when I get a break from college and interning and volunteering? Fanfic miracles are being made. It's insane _(or is it because I have no life?)_ Okay, yes it's another short chapter. And yes, I could have possibly maybe kinda sorta stretched it out a bit more . . . But where is the fun in finishing Strawberry Flavor fast? I am having waaay too much fun to simply end it anytime soon :)

On a side note, I hope you enjoyed reading. All Ren needed to give her that extra push was some encouraging advice, and the sudden realization that she isn't alone anymore. Isn't that all we need sometimes?

Happy holidays everyone!


	24. Chapter TwentyFour

**Chapter TwentyFour**

* * *

_"As the dawn began to break, I had to surrender. __The universe will have its way, too powerful to master."_

_-The Flaming Lips_

* * *

Surprisingly, not everyone left home early that day. One student volunteered to stay behind on campus to keep a watchful eye on a particular scary student. Being a huge Little Devil's fan compelled Mimi Toko to make certain Ren followed the rules of H.C.E.A, and stay far away from the host club . . . especially from her Hitachiin twins.

And so there she was, lurking behind a corner, and eavesdropping on Ren and two other students who clearly appeared to be members of the black magic club. Mimi didn't know any other person who wore black mantle cloaks to school. Her face twisted into a grimace of annoyance after hearing their conversation. She pressed her body flat against the wall as the three students made there way to the bowls of the black magic club, no doubt to get Ren dressed up for the Ball. Once they were out of sight, the red headed girl brought out her cellphone to warn her friends about Ren planning on showing her face at the host club's annual Winter Ball.

Within five short minutes several mobile phones across the city blew up with the text message.

Who would have guessed this was going to happen? Certainly not the president of H.C.E.A. At the time, Kazumai Saito was getting zipped up into her formal gown imported from Paris when her cellphone received a message alert. The fourth-year read the text, and her jaw dropped.

"That _witch_!" Kazumai cried angrily.

The blonde beauty stormed out of her staggeringly vast bathroom, paying no attention to how she frightened her housemaids. Kazumai couldn't believe Ren ignored her threats. First, she sent Yakuza thugs to put Ren in the hospital for the rest of the school year. When that plan failed, her three loyal subordinates confronted Ren with intentions to scare the living ugly out of her. Despite her hard efforts, Ren was still going to The Winter Ball!

"Argh!" Screamed the fourth year, slamming her bedroom door out of frustration. No one disobeyed Kazumai, founder of the host club's elite association, proud and devoted admire of the host club. She always got what she wanted. "This means war, Ren Ichihara!" She hissed.

* * *

The Winter Ball was magical.

Socialites of Ouran Academy arrived at the ballroom in limos and fancy vehicles. The moment they passed through the doors, they were greeted by sweet-smelling bouquets of fully bloomed black and white roses. The entire room was filled with them, either floating in water vases or perched upon crystal stands. Dozens of crystal lights illuminated the grand room. Several elegant ice sculptures of beautiful creatures glittered under the light. Expensive velvet and leather furniture allowed the guests to lounge and enjoy the event from afar. Caters served scrumptious cuisines and drinks on silver platters.

The floor-to-ceiling windows exposed the south side of the room to a magnificat view of a snow covered courtyard. A lovely water fountain sat in the center of a white rose garden, decorated with tiny angel statues and more crystal lights. Heating lanterns were found next to benches for those couples who rather spend time alone outside in the winter wonderland. Of course, no person in the right mind would sit in the cold without a warm thick blanket to cover up, so the host club made sure each bench had one.

Exquisite music of stings and flutes filled the air, and the students began to dance.

In a room, Tamaki stood alone by a window. He watched as vehicles pulled up to the entrance below. Tamaki was delighted to see so many had come to his event. However, a certain part of him felt chastened.

Behind the frowning boy, Haruhi pushed through the door. And paused when she noticed the slump in her Senpai's shoulders. Tamaki turned from hearing the sound of the door opening. The two students shared a silent conversation that only they knew. He allowed her to see the sadness in his eyes, because he never hid anything from his daughter.

A gentle smile slowly pulled at the corners of his mouth. "You look cute in a tuxedo, Haruhi."

He was excellent at being able to lighten the mood. But, Haruhi was not. She indistinctly looked down. "Erm . . . it's time."

Tamaki straightened his black tie before leaving with Haruhi. The others were patiently waiting for them in the grand room. Kyouya confirmed no sign of Ren when Tamaki asked. There was absolutely nothing surprising about that.

"Well, the show must go on." It sounded like Tamaki was trying to convince himself.

The host club wore frowns as they walked to the edge of the balcony, above the twirling dancers. As soon as everyone saw the host club, they stopped dancing to loudly applaud. By this time, each of them put on a fake look of happiness. Except for Kaoru. The Hitachiin had a bad feeling in his stomach. Tamaki put on a breathtaking smile for his admirers. He extended his arms outward, and started his speech for that evening. He was so absorbed in his speech that he failed to see a familiar girl enter the ballroom.

Ren came to a complete stop at the entrance. Her long black hair hung behind her back in styled curls, while half of it was pulled up into a messy bun. She was too nervous to appreciate the elaborate decorations, her eyes glued to the cluster of frilly dresses and black tuxedos on the dance floor. They gave their undivided attention to Tamaki who spoke about creating memories and a night of fun.

"Just breathe," Whispered Ren, gathering enough courage to keep her from turning toward the doors. Hands self-consciously crossed over her chest, unaccustomed to wearing wisps of silk and sheer chiffon. Ren looked again at the inappropriate dress Hisa forced her into.

She spent the better part of the day as Hisa's Dress-Up Doll. Whenever Ren fidgeted or complained, Hisa reminded her about facing her fears, and showing those bratty bimbos who was boss. Then she dressed her in a gothic inspired dress - midnight black, elaborate designs and strapless, with French tags she couldn't read - a dress well suitable for a runway. And the shoes! Stiletto heels, held on only by satin ribbons, certainly wasn't helping her get around. It's been twice she almost fell flat on her face. They were a death trap.

What comforted Ren was the thought of Hisa, Nekozawa, and Kanasuki joining her later. In the meantime, she had to somehow blend in. Ren took an unsteady step forward. As soon as people recognized the girl in the dark dress, they gasped. Hushed conversations erupted. Some people stared curiously, while others glared. She would have lowered her head if it weren't for Hisa advising her not to show discomfort in front of everyone. With that in mind, Ren lifted her chin high and focused on searching for Hikaru on the balcony. She frowned. He was not among the host club.

_He might still be sick at home,_ Ren thought. She felt slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be there to greet her with his smiling perfection and brilliant gold eyes.

Suddenly, a manicured hand grabbed her thin arm.

It belonged to a tall beautiful girl who was resplendent in a red dress, tight all the way to her calves, and then flaring out into a train of ruffles. She didn't seem pleased. In fact, her large green eyes were intense. "What do you think you're doing here?" She finally asked, looking down at Ren as if one of her inferiors.

Ren narrowed her eyes, not appreciating her cold disposition. "I came to enjoy the Ball." She responded in a clipped voice.

"You can't fool me. I know your here to be with the host club." The blonde beauty spat. Ren could feel her cheeks burn with embarassment. "The host club and you can never be together. You are like oil, and they are like water. It's impossible for you to mesh."

Realization brighten Ren's eyes. "Oh, I get it. You're part of that organization who worships the host club, right?"

"I thought you'd never ask." She tossed her angelic golden hair over one shoulder. "My name is Kazumai Saito, fourth-year and president of the host club's elite association. I've been keeping a watchful eye on you, especially when you managed to corrupt my precious Romeos." The hand on Ren's arm began to constrict. "Didn't I warn you to stay away from the host club? You're negligence with cost you."

Kazumai roughly threw Ren on the marble floor. It was then she noticed the crowd of angry looking girls standing around her. They were obviously members of Kazumai's faithful followers.

_Out numbered,_ Ren thought. She couldn't take them all at once. They would eventually defeat her. "I thought ladies of Ouran Academy were poise and mannered?" She asked, growing frustrated with their ridiculous behavior.

"We are . . . until someone messes with our lovers." Kazumai raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

Her heart rate picked up when the crowd of girls - from every angle - started to close in on her. Ren quickly took a stand, readying herself to fight for all she was worth.

* * *

A woman dressed in housemaid clothes climbed the elegant staircase with a serving tray in her hands. She made sure to maintain perfect balance all the way to the top so as not to tip over the young master's supper. Upon accomplishing this complicated task in three inch platform heels, she carefully walked to the doors at the end of the long hallway. When the housemaid pushed the door open, she was delighted to see the young master already awake from his nap.

"Good afternoon, sir." Happily greeted the housemaid as she paced over to his bedside. She set the serving tray on a nightstand with medicine bottles and crumpled tissue papers scattered over the surface. A few things toppled over the edge. Straightening her posture, and clasping hands together in front of her, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Warm sun rays poured through the open window drapes, casting a soft yellow glow into the large bedroom. The vibrant light made Hikaru's eyes appear a honey-gold and his fever flushed cheeks a deeper shade of red. Hikaru didn't look at the housemaid when he replied. He showed more interest in the cellphone cupped between his hands. "Better." He said, sounding slightly congested.

Her smile widen on her pretty face. "That's wonderful news, sir. I brought soup from the kitchen to soothe your sore throat as requested by your mother." She gestured to the bowl on the serving tray. "But be careful, it's still a little hot."

His thumbs pressed buttons._ Click. Click. Click. Click._

"Kay," Replied Hikaru in a dull tone, eyes on the cellphone. "You're dismissed."

The housemaid gave a slight nod of the head and left the Hitachiin alone. Hikaru sighed back into his fluffy large pillows, feeling achey and exhausted. He took one look at the bowl of soup and cringed. There was no way he had the stomach to eat anything yet. Instead, he laid in bed confined to his own thoughts . . . thoughts which revolved around a particular girl in a black cloak. It surprised him the many times Ren made an appearance in his thoughts. Sometimes ninety-nine times a day, he counted. That was a lot!

"I must be extremely bored to be thinking about her." He concluded, and left it as that.

Tonight was the Winter Ball. Hikaru wondered if he was well enough to go. He considered that for a moment. Even though the body aches were still there, his head didn't feel like it weighed a ton anymore. There was still a slight fever, that was certain, and his throat burned. He looked toward the windows, and saw the sun was already setting. Snow had started to fall as well. Perhaps it wouldn't be a smart idea to leave during this cold weather.

_Ding! _

As if in a daze, Hikaru reached across his bed and grabbed the mobile phone. He took one look at the text message and his eyes widen. Despite his better judgement, Hikaru leaped out of bed, got dressed, and darted out the door in under seven minutes.

He left his phone behind during his haste. Written across the screen were three words from his brother, Kaoru.

_'Ren's in danger_.'

* * *

**A/N:** Another SF chapter completed! Huzzah!

Since it's well past my bedtime, and I'm extremely sleepy, I shall make this short. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews guys. I can't express how happy I am to know so many of you like SF. You are awesome. Really! I never imagined my fanfic would gain this amount of love. I feel so honored T-T (weeps of happiness).

On an exciting note, I'm almost done with the next chapter. I only need to revise it for grammar and clarity purposes. So, expect an update next week! Also, I received fabulous works of art for my Strawberry Flavor fanfic in forms of videos and drawings by some extremely talented people. You can find them on my profile page, so please go check them out! They're awesome! :D

Have a great week everyone! Now excuse me while I blissfully knock out on my pillow. ZZZZzzzzzz . . .


	25. Chapter TwentyFive

**Chapter TwentyFive**

* * *

_"Hey, don't write yourself off yet. It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on. Just do your best, do everything you can. And don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say." _

_-Jimmy Eat World_

* * *

She was running, running, running. Ren wished the delicate fabric on her dress would stop making that annoying crunching sound whenever she moved her legs, because those crazy host club fans were bound to hear it. It sounded loud to her ears, like gongs resounding through the school. Luckily, the corridors of Ouran Academy were dark, for it allowed her the chance to blend into the shadows and sneak away unnoticed. Ren managed to loose them somewhere between the ballroom and Ouran's main building. Their voices nearly inaudible at this distance.

Stitch cramping her side, she decided to take a short rest. Ren leaned back on one of the tall windows, breathless. She could feel her poor heart thumping rapidly against her chest. Going to the ball was a horrible idea. In what mental state of mind was she in to think proving herself to those girls would actually make a difference? They practically ran her over with their expensive, shiny limos. Figuratively speaking, of course, even though Ren was convinced they just might do that next time she crosses their paths.

_Hisa made it sound so easy_, glumly thought Ren. _She is very good with words. Next time, I won't be easily persuaded. _The short empath drew up a lovely picture of Ren standing up to H.C.E.A by demanding to be left alone and the right to hang out with who ever she wanted. Moved by her courage, they eventually would step down without trouble. Epic fail! Hisa's vision never got the chance to happen when Kazumai sicked her loyal subordinates on Ren and chased the poor girl half across school.

Her situation was obviously hopeless. Ren let her head fall forward, black hair sliding over her shoulders. Her styled curls were starting to straighten out. With eyes half closed, she couldn't help but wonder how things would've turned out if Hikaru was there to speak on her behalf. _Would he even care to help?_

At the end, Ren thought perhaps the only way out of this mess was to threaten the host club about telling everyone that Haruhi was actually a girl disguised as a boy. The host club would have to leave her alone in return for Ren's silence, pleasing H.C.E.A, and finally getting rid of them for good.

Suddenly, the voices got louder down the corridor. They found me, she realized with alarm. Ren turned away and plunged into a sprint, stiletto heels in one hand, a handful of dress in the other. That was when she heard a dozen shoes clicking on marble floors. They were hot on her heels. Cursing herself for taking that rest, Ren picked up her speed and reached the double doors at the end of the hall. Her eyes open wide with terror.

Locked.

"Get her!" Someone shouted. "She's getting away."

Ren desperately wiggled the fixed handle. Despite her attempt, the latch refused to give in under her strength. Heart in her throat, hands slick with sweat, Ren twisted around to face the mob of girls.

"This isn't fair. I haven't done anything wrong." Ren said in her breathless voice.

Her words might as well have been said in a foreign language, because no one listened. They approached with rapid speed. Getting closer, and closer.

Then a black flowing cape blocked the sea of angry faces. Blinking with surprise, Ren saw Nekozawa in front of her. He came out of nowhere, dressed in an English charcoal grey suit. The Dark Lord grinned spookily at the members of H.C.E.A. from underneath his top hat. They recoiled in fear.

"If you desire to harm my Ichihara-Hime," Nekozawa lifted his arm, and used a black cane to point at the group of baffled girls, "then I dare you to go through me."

"And me." Hisa dropped from the shadows, her purple dress billowed out around her. The short empath landed perfectly next to her mysterious president before standing up straight. Sparks of electricity flickered above her forehead.

"As well as me," Came the toneless voice of Kanazuki. The pale faced girl suddenly appeared behind Mimi, who freaked out and scurried away.

Kazumai narrowed her beautiful eyes. "Get lost, freaks. This has nothing to do with you."

"That's where you're wrong, Crazy Lady." Hisa said. "We'll always stand up for our friends."

Ren's throat suddenly felt tight. She wasn't used to others protecting her, and the appearance of the black magic club coming to her rescue caught her by surprise. She stood there, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion, when the double doors behind her burst wide open.

To reveal the strikingly handsome members of the host club. And standing next to his brother was Hikaru Hitachiin, in all his perfection.

"Take Ichihara-Hime, and flee." Nekozawa told Tamaki over his shoulder. "We'll hold them off."

Tamaki nodded his head.

"Come with us, Re'ni-chan." Came the sweet voice of her senpai Hani, but Ren was too distracted seeing Hikaru with them to process anything coherently, like moving her feet.

_The dazzling creature is here? He's actually came?_

Hikaru rolled his eyes, and quickly pulled Ren along with him. She staggered after the Hitachiin in a daze. The host club ran down the dimly lit corridor, away from the angry mob.

"On better circumstances, I would be leaping with joy that you came to the ball." Said Tamaki as they turned a corner. "Why are so many people mad at you?"

"Yeah!" Agreed Hikaru in his raspy voice. "What did you do this time? I leave you alone for a few days and come back to find the entire school wanting your head."

Ren snapped out of her daze when she heard him speak those words. "How dare you accuse me for this when it's your fault." She retorted, running behind him.

"There you go again," Hikaru pointed out, "blaming me for everything."

"Actually," Haruhi began, "The host club's elite association are enraged that Ren is hanging out with us everyday. But things worsened when they found out that you two held hands."

"WHAT?!" Everyone screamed in surprise. Including Hikaru. After all, this was the first time he heard about the exposure.

"It's true," Confirmed Kaoru when he saw the panic look on his brother's face. "Now, the whole school thinks you've fallen in love for each other."

"Gack!" Ren choked. "Don't say it out loud. It hurts the inside of my ears."

Tamaki laughed. "So Renge's theory came true after all."

"NO IT HASN'T!" Both shouted Hikaru and Ren at the same time.

"The dazzling creature wouldn't let go of my hand." Ren said in her defense. "I'm the victim."

Hikaru stopped dead in his tracks to give Ren a hard glare. "I would've let you go if you weren't such a danger magnet." He said with a dark blush.

Ren pouted. "I am not a danger magnet,"

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"ARETOOARETOOARETOO!"

"Argh!" With arms stretched forward, Ren tried to strangle the annoying Hitachiin only to be held back by Haruhi.

"This isn't the time to fight, guys." Haruhi reminded as she struggled with Ren's strength.

"Listen," Mori said suddenly, silencing everyone. He looked down the corridor with tense eyes.

That was when they heard voices slowly getting louder; no doubt the girls of H.C.E.A found a way around the black magic club.

Tamaki acted first. "This way," he commaded and they followed quickly.

* * *

Haruhi felt guilty.

If she had any idea, or a single speck of knowledge that Kyouya was planning to apply this much pressure on Ren, than she would have never opened her big mouth. Even so, she should have known better. The ingenious upperclassman was manipulative half of the time, and selfish most of the time. He used anything in his power to bend people to his will, going to the extent of crushing their dreams. _Bend . . . and bend . . . and snap! _Kyouya's victim would collapse, surrendering to whatever he had in store for them. The Shadow King's level of influence held a power beyond Haruhi's understanding. But Tamaki, who had the authority to end such absurdity, sat back and allowed it all to happen.

Haruhi wished she had enough time to warn Ren in advance, maybe guide her in a different direction. Then again, she couldn't save her own skin from getting blackmailed when she first arrived at the host club. Her cheeks bloomed red with embarrassment. Recalling the memory discouraged her from marching straight up to Kyouya's face at that moment and command him to leave Ren alone. Instead, Haruhi watched helplessly from a distance as he approached Ren like a lion closing in on its prey. Haruhi felt a tangled knot of anxiety building up in her stomach for what was to come next.

And the angry mob of girls outside the host club door's weren't helping the situation.

Kyouya stopped a few feet in front of the transfer student who had all of Ouran's students fleeing in fear. Not too long ago, it took a single picture to change that fear into anger. When word about Ren holding hands with one of the Hitachiin brothers swept over school, an organization known as the host club's elite association - which was made up of half the student body - vowed to do everything in their power to keep her away from the host club. They pounded and kicked the doors that Mori, Hani, Hikaru and Kaoru were desperately trying with all their strength to keep closed. They had come for Ren. They had come to punish her for breaking their rules. Having known this, Kyouya used it to his advantage and cornered Ren during the chaos.

He held his chin high as he spoke. "Have you changed your mind?" The question made shivers run down Haruhi's spine. Oh, how intimidated she was of her Senpai even though his attention wasn't directed toward her. On the other hand, this did not seem to bother Ren - not one bit.

Frustrated by his question, Ren narrowed her eyes. "Do you honestly expect me to give in so early in the game?"

"This is no game, Miss Ichihara." He spoke delicately as he loosened his black tie. "This is a matter of facing your fears."

Ren averted her gaze elsewhere. Somehow they fell upon Hikaru across the room. He stood between his brother and Mori, pushing against the doors that begged to be open. Despite being sick with fever, he came to the Winter Ball to save her from the girls of H.C.E.A.

"In that case," Kyouya's voice snapped Ren out of her reverie. She looked back at her Senpai. "you leave me with no other choice."

"I'm not scared of you." Ren said.

A smile pulled at the corner of his lips, a devil's grin. "You will be."

Haruhi could not take it any more. Swallowing her fear, she took a brave step forward with every intention to end Kyouya's blackmail. Before she could get a word out, a hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned around and found it belonged to Tamaki.

"This needs to stop." She told him, her expression grave.

But he was already shaking his head. "She's threatening to reveal your secret to everyone at the Ball." Tamaki reminded her in a calm voice. "I'm afraid this is the only way."

Haruhi stared at him, eyes open wide with shock. Was it the only way? She decided it just wasn't fair, and turned around, giving her back to The Golden King. He sighed with a certain edge, but she refused to look him in the eye. She was too upset.

At that moment, she looked up at Ren and a pang of guilt washed over her. How did it all come down to this, she wondered. Now Kyouya was going to eat Ren alive.

"If you tell everyone about Haruhi's true gender, then expect no more chocolates, and no more strawberries for a whole month." Kyouya finished saying in his most assertive voice, making it clear that he meant every last word.

Haruhi fell back. _That was Kyouya-Senpai's blackmail?_

The frustration was visible on Ren's face. "Fine! But I'll get you back for this, evil creature of the light."

The vice-preisdent simply smiled victoriously. "I'd like to see you try."

Exhausted, Ren pressed her back to the wall and slid down. She brought her knees to her chest. "Now what am I going to do? There's no way I'm going to survive this." She muttered, knowing it will end soon once the girls of H.C.E.A got ahold on her.

"Just leave that to us." Tamaki answered. Ren looked up to find he was smiling at her. "Trust me." He said.

At that point, the mob of clamorous girls started to get out of control. The noise got louder and louder. Hani leaned back, putting all of his weight against the doors. Sweat covered Hikaru's forehead. Kaoru clenched his teeth together. Mori shouted something that Ren didn't hear over the screams.

And then it happened.

The doors burst wide open, sending the four members of the host club flying back. A thousand faces with angry disappointed eyes stared into the room. Only one girl stepped forward from the large crowd. Her long blonde hair dangled in loose curls behind her back, and her eyes narrowed when she spotted Ren among the group of handsome.

"Miss Saito." Acknowledged Tamaki. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Rest assure, my prince, this is strictly business." She lifted her chin a bit. "As president of H.C.E.A, I am fully responsible for vanquishing any wicked girl who harm the host club."

"What are you saying?" Tamaki inquired, brows furrowed. "Ren hasn't harmed us."

"She placed a spell on the host club, Tamaki-kun!" Passionately replied Kazumai.

"In order to spend your precious time with her." Said another girl who everyone knew as Tsuno Mawagawa, vice-president of H.C.E.A. "She is a member of the black magic club, giving her full access to their potions."

The rest of the girls nodded their heads in determined agreement.

"Creepy-chan placed a spell on us?" Hikaru sounded unconvinced as he helped his younger brother to his feet. "That's ridiculous." Finished Kaoru. The twins quickly looked to Kyouya for answers. "Right?" They asked simultaneously.

"I can assure you that Miss Ichihara does not have the ability to cast spells." Kyouya confirmed. "The majority of the black magic club's so-called potions are from cultivated weeds. Her hypersensitivity to its pollen would automatically rule out that proposed explanation."

Ren shot the vice-president a look of suspicion. "How do you know I'm allergic to weeds?"

"Your aunt told me, of course." Kyouya said as if it was the most obvious thing in the word.

Ren gritted her teeth. _That traitor!_

"So you see, Miss Saito," Tamaki said in a soothing voice to gentle his words, "we are not forced to spend time with Ren. Actually, we enjoy her company."

"That's right!" Hani piped happily next to his tall cousin.

"If anything, she dislikes spending time with us." Haruhi added confidently.

The girls grew silent.

Kazumai's eyes widen incredulously. The host club were actually sticking up for Ren. "Why do you willingly accept such a strange girl into your circle?" Kazumai asked. "She's below your standards. Surely you wouldn't grow strong bonds with this ugly person?"

"Such ugly words coming from a pretty girl," Tamaki said with a gentle smile. He watched as Kazumai's anger slowly started to loosen on her porcelain face. She did not expect her Prince to be against her. "I believe true beauty resides in a girl who looks for the good in others, for lips who speak only words of kindness."

"A pretty face is nothing when you have a rotten personality." Hikaru said with indifference. "So, appearance doesn't really matter." Kaoru added as he leaned against his brother.

Kazumai's face and neck flushed crimson with anger. Rage-induced tears started to fill her beautiful eyes. "You fools!" She twirled around, shoving people aside as she ran out the host club. Eventually, the rest of the girls slowly trickled out the room until no one remained expect the members of the host club and Ren.

Tamaki sighed. "What a night,"

"I'll say," Haruhi said.

"No one has showed me kindness like you guys just did." The host club turned around at the sound of Ren's voice. She was staring at the ground, blushing slightly. "It's been so long that I almost forgot how it felt to have others care about me. It's kind of nice." A small, sweet smile interrupted her sentence. "What I'm trying to say is . . . well, thank you. Thank you for everything."

The very sight of Ren being genuinely cute and shy made Tamiki throw his arms in the air. "OH! REN!" He ran to give the girl a big hug, but ended up getting flipped. Tamaki laid on the ground, throughly stunned.

"I'm still not a fan of hugs . . ." Ren reminded. "Well, I suppose now that I attended the Winter Ball, there won't be any need to continue going to the host club for treatment. It was great knowing you all."

"Not so fast, Miss Ichihara."

Ren froze in place. Kyouya continued. "This stir will no doubt place a hamper on our funds. More than half our designators are furious with us, and doesn't seem to be planning on showing up at the host club for a few weeks. Since you were the cause of this problem, you are responsible for paying us back for every designator's absence."

"You're mad!" Shouted Ren incredulously.

"Also, I notice you barely demonstrated a drop of confidence in front of those mean girls." Tamaki massaged the point of his chin in a thoughtful manner. "This makes me believe you still haven't accepted yourself. A leading character in a story can't always play the role of a victim when things turn bad. That makes a terrible plot. It's obvious you need further character development. The treatment plan continues!"

"Yay! That means Re'ni-chan will spend more time with us!" Hani cheered.

_Spend more time with the host club?! Anything but that!_

"I hope those are happy tears, Miss Ichihara." Kyouya smirked.

The members of the host club left a sobbing Ren in order to enjoy the rest of the evening at the Winter Ball. She remembered with dismay that she was very uncharacteristically wearing mascara. She wiped quickly under her eyes to prevent any smudges. Thankfully her hand was unblackened when she pulled it away. Ren couldn't imagine spending more time with those bright creatures. It wasn't fair.

"I didn't even get the chance to taste one delicious chocolate covered strawberry." Ren pouted.

"Ahem,"

Looking up from between her knees, Ren was shocked to find Hikaru still in the room, leaning casually against the wall, and looking even more beautiful than she last saw him. Going a whole week without seeing him might be the cause. Still, the very sight of him made breathing difficult. Would she ever get used to his perfection?

Hikaru broke the silence. "I, um, got you something." He pealed himself from the wall and walked over to her. Unfolding his fingers, he held a plump strawberry drizzled with chocolate in his hand. "I managed to snag one from the ballroom when no one was looking."

Ren gawked as Hikaru placed the delicate red fruit in her hands. She took a small bite, and her eyes glittered with happiness. The expression made him laugh.

He never seen Ren dress in elegant attire before, and, with the black color contrast against her fair skin, her beauty was evident. That much he couldn't deny. "This dress suits you." Hikaru lifted a wisp of black silk to inspect before letting it slip between his fingers.

_Did he just compliment me?_ "H-Hisa choose the dress for me." She stammered.

He stared at her longer than nessesary. "I like it. You should dress up more often."

Ren blushed. "Erm . . . thanks." She managed to say, and finished the last piece of strawberry morsel.

Hikaru smiled briefly, but it didn't touch his eyes. The crazy events of that night started to take a toll on his achey body. But before he left, there was something he needed to get off his chest. "I didn't know about the rumors. I guess, this was kinda my fault." Midway through his sentence, he covered his mouth to cough.

Her heart fluttered. She was sure this wouldn't come to pass. Hikaru Hitachiin was actually apologizing? And without anyone forcing him? "Why are you doing this?" Ren really wanted to know. Up until now, she thought he was apathetic to her feelings.

The Hitachiin looked away, feeling uncomfortable. "Because I feel responsible for putting you through this, okay." The blush on his cheeks turned darker but Ren couldn't tell if it was the fever, or him. He looked up at her under thick lashes to check her expression. "Can you forgive me?"

Her eyes widen. Even when he was sick he looked so damn handsome. She turned away to wipe away the blood that rolled down her mouth. It was obvious the Hitachiin wasn't used to apologizing, so Ren decided to restrain from giving him a hard time. Besides, it was pointless staying mad at that face. "I-I-I forgive you." Stuttered Ren, trying to calm her accelerating heartbeat.

"Thanks, Creepy-chan." Hikaru really was grateful. With a clean conscious, he started to make his way to the doors.

When she saw him walking away, Ren found her mouth moving on it's own accord. "Hey, wait." She said, one hand stretched out.

Hikaru stopped at the door entrance, and turned around. Those scorching golden eyes could almost burn through her.

It was strange how often she desired his attention. Ren sighed before looking down. "I hope you get well soon." She muttered timidly.

Despite the fever, he flashed her that famous uneven smile. Ren felt the full force of his charm. "Just try not to get into anymore trouble on your way back home, Creepy-chan." And just to be a little devilish, he winked at the poor girl who was already hyperventilating.

Ren collapsed on the floor with a massive nosebleed.

* * *

**A/N: **THE END

Ha! Just kidding. I hope you didn't think this was going to be the last chapter for Strawberry Flavor. Gasp! You did? No . . . no (hits readers head with rolled up newspaper). Ren is slowly starting to recognize her feelings for Hikaru. And vice versa! This is where the real fun begins. Eek! Ah, el amor joven ;)

P.S sorry for the many grammar errors. I tried to revise most of it.


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